Straight On 'Til Morning
by soulful-sin
Summary: (Partly set during season 5) Cosmo & Wanda have been arguing and Wanda leaves. 2 months later, she reappears w/out her soul. The loss of her soul, as well as crucial events not coming to pass, have caused a doomed timeline. Timmy and Cosmo must find her soul and restore it. Meanwhile, in the canon-verse, an alternate Timmy and Chloe have new enemies, one linked to Wanda's soul.
1. I'm Going Down

A/N: Hello everyone! I know I have to work on Null Moon and I'm really sorry about that. I've just gotten obsessed with FOP again thanks to Chloe.

This story seems like it needs a little introduction. So, part of it takes place in canon and that'll be in the next chapter. Part of it takes place in the TOS universe and then other alternate universes. Reading TOS is not necessary for understanding this fic, but you need to basically know that Lorenzo is Timmy's anti-fairy and a royal bastard.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask in the reviews!

* * *

Timmy didn't know which was worse. His parents choosing to ignore him most of the time and subject him to Vicky and or Cosmo and Wanda spending most of their time arguing over petty things. When they weren't arguing, Wanda hung about in a sullen silence. At least when she bickered with Cosmo, he could talk to her and possibly give her suggestions. When she refrained from speaking entirely, he couldn't reach her.

This wasn't supposed to happen. Godparents were supposed to fill in where parents failed. Now he needed godparents to help him with his godparents.

Maybe they needed a marriage counselor. Timmy was only ten. He didn't know how anyone could reasonably expect him to repair a thousand of years old marriage when he could barely pass Crocker's class. Trying to get Cosmo and Wanda to agree on anything was putting an added strain on him, one that Vicky was quick to act upon. So he got slammed from that side too.

Enough was enough. Either his godparents split up and he wound up with one godparent having him and then switching off…or he'd find out what the hell was making them so pissed at each other.

It was after school and Cosmo had brought to life random stuffed animals to fight in a mock battle. Wanda was staring at a book without reading it. She hadn't spoken through much of the day and hadn't risen to Cosmo's taunts. He prayed this plan would work. If not, he might have to wish for an intermediary. Or wish for what the root of the problem was, when he doubted his godparents knew it.

"Hey, Wanda," he said. Wanda's eyes slid from the open book to him.

"What are you talking to _her_ for?" Cosmo scoffed. "Come play with me! I'll let you be the evil bunnies!"

"Can I talk to you alone? Without Cosmo?" he asked. Wanda frowned, suspicious. She looked at her husband, his stuffed animal army, and back at him.

"You don't want to talk to _me_?" Cosmo huffed. "I'm insulted!"

"Wanda?" Timmy pressed and Wanda waved her wand. They disappeared, reappearing in his old tree house. It hadn't been touched in months and a layer of dust covered everything. Another wave of her wand made everything sparkling clean again.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" she said. Her voice was stiff and she was on guard. Trying to corner them usually failed, because if he got one alone, the other would soon appear. He didn't understand why they circled each other only to hurt each other.

"I wish I knew what was going on with you and Cosmo!" he burst out. That wasn't the plan. His brash tendencies had gotten ahead of him again. He cursed.

Wanda sighed. "I wish I knew too."

That wasn't the answer he'd been expecting. "What the heck are you talking about? You should know. You've been married to him for an insane amount of years. And it's not like it's a secret you two have been fighting."

"We've been stressed lately," she said.

"You mean you've been stressed," he corrected. "And me. Did you ever think what this is doing to me?"

She glared and then her gaze softened. "Maybe we need time apart."

"But you'd come back, right?" he asked.

"Of course, sweetie," she said and hugged him. "I'll always come back."  
 **…**  
It'd been two months. Timmy still didn't know where she'd gone. Neither did Cosmo, not that Timmy had expected him to be of much help. Jorgen couldn't find her either, though he seemed to think her disappearance was alarming. He'd never lost track of a fairy before and the fact that no one, including him, could locate her made him put out a missing fairies report. He seemed to think, as did Timmy, that something had happened to her.

Her disappearance had also, according to Jorgen, screwed with the time line. Events that should have happened not long after her promise hadn't occurred because of her absence. Timmy hadn't noticed at first, but when Crocker swore off chasing fairies for good and Timmy actually started doing well in school, he realized something was up. There was something missing, something big, and the more time passed, the more obvious it seemed.

The problem was that no matter how obvious it was Timmy couldn't figure out what the wish was supposed to be. He already felt strange without Wanda there—Cosmo was no longer argumentative. He was also no longer energetic; seeming prone to the same depression Wanda had been on the brink of before her disappearance. There were occasional bursts of happiness and cheer, but for the most part, Cosmo and Timmy had become rather boring and rule bound.

Maybe this wasn't something he was supposed to fix. Maybe he was supposed to watch it all fade away until it turned into the next biggest disaster.

He didn't know. Frustration made him waspish and he buried himself in his schoolwork because it made more sense than anything else. And for him to flee to schoolwork made him question his sanity. School should be the last thing he'd use as a refuge.

"Wish we knew where Wanda was," Timmy muttered.

"Fairy World filed a missing fairy report on her," Cosmo said in a dull voice. Timmy looked up from his history book to find Cosmo staring, listless, at his wand.

"How often do fairies go missing?" he asked.

"Not that often," Cosmo replied. "Almost never."

He still spoke in that strange, disconnected voice. Timmy closed his textbook and stared at his godfather. Cosmo poofed to his side and even his fairy dust had lost its sheen. He settled on the desk and looked at Timmy despondently.

"I don't know what to do without her," he confessed.

"Can't we go look for her?" Timmy suggested. It wasn't like his homework was getting done…ever. Besides, it'd give him something else to think about besides his failing grades and his parents' current all-out war against each other. What was it—divorce proceedings in Dimmsdale year? He couldn't stand all this tension. It was driving him crazy.

"I dunno where to start," Cosmo sniffled. He looked to thin-air as if appealing to another fairy. "Maybe Poof knows!"

"What are you talking about? Who's Poof?" Timmy asked. He stared at the same spot as Cosmo. The green haired fairy spoke animatedly, never mind that Timmy still didn't see anyone. Maybe Poof was invisible.

"My son," Cosmo explained. Timmy continued to stare. He chalked it up to Cosmo stressing out over not being able to find Wanda. Never one to handle much stress without panicking, this time Cosmo had entirely too much on his plate. And now he was hallucinating. Huh. He wondered what it was like to have a normal childhood.

"You don't have a son," Timmy said. "You only have me. You know, Timmy Turner. Your godson. I wish we were in Fairy World!"

"Poof doesn't think that's such a good idea," Cosmo said. Timmy glared, grabbing Cosmo's wand and teleporting them there. They appeared instantly, Cosmo shaking his head, and Timmy released his godfather's hand.

He gawked. Fairy World was dark and gloomy, as though a thunderstorm was about to break out. Fairies rushed to and fro, muttering to themselves and not stopping to look at the human in their midst. The rainbow bridge in the distance was fractured with plumes of smoking coming out of it. The air had a cloying smell, sticking to the inside of his nose and throat and making him cough.

"What the heck is going on?" he demanded.

"I don't know…" Cosmo said and stared at the ruckus. A woman barreled past them and smacked Timmy in the face with her handbag.

Rubbing his cheek, he called after her and the fairy didn't stop to apologize. He had no idea what prompted this much haste, but he could feel the tension even greater here. It was a compulsion to run and flee as far as possible. Timmy rubbed his eyes, which were gritty with fairy dust.

"Where's Jorgen when you need him?" Timmy asked.

Cosmo shrugged. Timmy could see he'd be no help, not that he was usually any help. Scoffing, he set off in a random direction. He thought the Fairy Court lay somewhere nearby, but he could be wrong. Surely someone in charge would be able to tell him what was going on. He'd have no help from any of the passing fairies either, considering how rapidly they eclipsed him. None of them had a second to spare.

As he walked, Cosmo studied the scene with wide eyes. He wasn't trying to communicate with anyone and his lower lip quivered. He floated close to his godson and stared every which way. Fairies streamed from their houses, from shops and offices, and barreled toward Earth. It was a mass exodus. It was insanity. No sooner had he tried to track one than he lost it again.

"What gives?" he asked. He grabbed a fairy by the shoulders. The creature had shoulder length black hair, brownish black eyes, and wore a suit and tie. Nervous, the male shuddered out of his grip and vanished in a cloud of dust. Timmy growled, launching himself at a female that did the same thing.

"Why doesn't anyone want to talk to me?" he protested.

"Maybe it has to do with that," Cosmo said and pointed to the sky. Where the sun normally shone was a massive dark cloud that grew with each passing minute.

"Big deal," Timmy scoffed. "Like it doesn't rain in Fairy World."

"Not like that," Cosmo replied.

"This is getting us nowhere," he proclaimed. Ignoring the creatures passing them every which he way, he set off to Mama Cosma's house.  
He'd already forgotten where he had intended to go and anyway, the Fairy Court looked impassable with all the fairies flowing to and fro near there. Mama Cosma's house, at least, had fewer creatures fleeing.

"Mama?" Cosmo called when Timmy knocked on the door. It opened and revealed Cosmo's mother hurriedly packing. She looked up at her son's voice and then went back to stuffing something into a suitcase.

"What's going on?" Timmy snapped.

"Cosmo-lolo, thank goodness!" Mama Cosma said and rushed to him. She squeezed him, shot Timmy a warning look, and held Cosmo at arms' length. "I can't find your brother."

"Cosmo doesn't have a brother," Timmy said. "And why is everyone rushing to get out of here?"

"The timeline's collapsing," Mama Cosma said, still not looking at Timmy. "Someone meddled with it and something that wasn't supposed to happen did."

"That's vague," he snapped. "Who did what?"

"Someone took Wanda," Cosmo said with wide eyes. Mama Cosma released him, stared at the suitcase, and finally appraised Timmy.  
Timmy stiffened, disliking the glower she gave him.

"This can't all have to do with Wanda," she said dismissively.

"I don't know," Cosmo whined. "But she's been missing ever since we started fighting and I don't know where she is!"

"That isn't it," Mama Cosma retorted. "It must be something else."

"While you guys are trying to figure it out, why doesn't someone just find her?" Timmy huffed.

"I really wouldn't care if Wanda died in a ditch somewhere," Mama Cosma said airily and Cosmo gasped, although Timmy didn't know why he was surprised. Mama Cosma hated Wanda.

"Don't say that!" he protested.

"Fine," Mama Cosma relented. "I hope it's a nice ditch."

She slammed the suitcase shut and almost knocked her son over with it. Assessing the house, she held up her wand and shoved something else inside. It protruded and she prodded it until it lay flat. Grabbing Cosmo by the arm, she disappeared with him. Timmy darted to the spot, but it was too late. They were gone.

"Hey!" he cried. "What the heck am I supposed to do? Bring him back!"

There was no answer. "Cosmo! Wanda! Jorgen!"

No answer from any corner. Even if Cosmo had invented Poof, which Timmy couldn't discount at this point, it seemed the imaginary fairy had had a real point. Going to Fairy World was a bust. Now he was down two godparents rather than one and had no idea how to locate either of them. Plus, he was stranded here until he found a ride home.

"Note to self: never again ask 'how could things possibly go wrong?'" he grumbled. Pushing aside the front door, he stomped outside.  
Fairies still hurried everywhere, seemingly forgetting they could just poof from place to place. Irritated, Timmy kept reaching out for one of  
them, but they eluded him. It was like trying to catch a snowflake on your tongue. Eventually, he just gave up and sat on a stoop with his head cradled between his hands. There had to be a solution. He had to think of it.

The longer he sat there, the less he felt he'd think of anything, good or not. Frustrated with himself, he wandered. The fairy tide had shrunken to a few isolated cases. No one looked at him or acknowledged him. He wished he could be cool and ignore them too, but he needed them too badly.

Toward the middle of the market, he noticed the air growing thicker and harder to move through. He needed to work harder to breathe and could only take short gasping breaths. Sitting on a bench, he clutched his chest. The last time he'd felt like this he'd tried to run in gym class. But this felt more like an oppressive weight sitting on his chest than over exercise.

No one was coming. He pushed his way back as he had come, but the air remained stagnant. He had to stop numerous times, regain his breath, and start again. Through it all, he noticed how empty Fairy World was becoming. He didn't have the breath to spare to ask for help, much less demand it.

He wound up where he had started, near Mama Cosma's house. He knew nothing more than he had known before, but he had a headache and it was really hard to breathe. Normally, Jorgen or someone else would step up by now and haul him out of here. It was really unlike Fairy World to completely ignore him.

Spots flashed in front of his eyes and he decided it wouldn't be too bad if he collapsed onto Mama Cosma's bed for a while. They could find him if they needed him. A good long nap might be in order…  
 **…**

When he woke up, he was nowhere. Almost quite literally, nowhere. His surroundings had turned to grey and when he pushed at Mama Cosma's door, it stuck. Wedging his shoulder against it, he pushed harder. His shoulder ached and he growled, wondering if the door was now painted on. Kicking it stubbed his toe rather than opening it.

"Stupid door," he grumbled.

The windows looked out on more grey area. Timmy touched his palms to it and was cool to the touch, but it didn't feel like glass anymore either. It was too slippery. Even keeping his hands on it for a short amount of time made them slide right off.

"What the heck is going on?" he demanded. Flinging himself at the door, he tried again to open it. Multiple attempts left him dizzy. At least he could breathe again. Then again, being stranded inside of a fairy house wasn't much better.

He couldn't believe someone would just leave him here and forget about him. Sure, his parents forgot about him all the time, but he'd grown to expect that. Cosmo and Wanda never forgot about him for long. He was sure one of them would be coming back right now to bring him back to Earth. He counted to ten.

"One, two, three…they're usually here by now…four…five…six…what is taking them so long?" he cried. He was starting to get a little worried they might not show up. He didn't know what he'd do if he were trapped in here for much longer. Mama Cosma hadn't just packed her suitcase—she'd packed up almost every single item in the house. Where had she thought she was going? Where had any of them gone?

He searched the house for a way out and tripped over a trapdoor. The door, like the front, refused to open. He groaned and slapped a palm to his forehead. There was no way he was waiting for rescue.

"Wanda! Cosmo! Somebody!" he called.

"Somebody."

His word echoed, spoken in Wanda's voice, and, cheered, he spun around to face his godmother. She was nowhere to be seen. Cautious, tugging on the trapdoor, he called again, "Wanda?"

"Somebody."

Frowning, he left the trapdoor alone and walked back through the house. There, in the front room, he discovered his godmother, sapped of color and barely floating. Disturbed, but glad to see her because it meant she'd be able to take him home, he rushed to her. Wanda glanced at him and then down at the floor. She looked like he'd felt after wishing away his emotions.

"Where _were_ you?" he asked.

"Nowhere," she said in a monotone. Shuddering, he stared at her.

"I wish we were home!"

"This is home," she said in the same voice that gave him the creeps.

"What are you talking about? No, it isn't. I wish we were home!"

Wanda held up her wand and it fizzled. Sparks flew out and the room around them flickered. It disappeared, reappeared, and then they were somewhere else. Everything remained grey and Timmy didn't recognize this park. It was full of dead and dying trees.

"Okay…" he said and looked up at the sky. "There's still no sun. What the heck is going on? I said Earth, Wanda. Not some weird dead place."

Wanda stared at him. "Sport…"

"What?" he asked, his voice too sharp because he was getting nervous. "Make with the poof thing already!"

Placing an icy cold hand on his shoulder, she turned him around. A man wearing a black hoodie, black pants, and carrying an icicle wand stood a few feet away from them. He carried an amulet that he swung around. Bright pink shone from it. Timmy looked at the amulet and then at Wanda. His brain didn't make the connection or maybe it didn't want to. It was too weird, anyway.

"What?" he asked again.

"Timmy," she said and he grimaced.

"Stop talking like that!" he demanded.

"She can't," the man said and swung the amulet around. "I have her soul. You have her shell."

Startled, Timmy gawked. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I'm not surprised," the man snorted. His voice was baritone and irritated Timmy, who stood protectively in front of his godmother. His heart  
pounded. Balling his fists, he struck an offensive stance. The man snorted again.

"Stop that!" he snapped.

"I have her soul. You have her shell," the man repeated. "Catch as catch can, Timmy Turner."

The man threw back his hoodie and Wanda flinched, bouncing into her godson. Timmy didn't see what the big deal was until he looked the  
man in the eyes. He had cold, blue eyes, buckteeth, and brown hair. His face was lined with years, but Timmy knew it all too well.

"I look forward to our acquaintance," he said.

"Lorenzo," Wanda said and the lack of inflection somehow made it worse than a curse.

"Wanda," Lorenzo said, inclining his head. He grinned wickedly. "Frach."

He extended his hand to Timmy and Timmy scowled.

"You'll change your mind," he informed the boy. "Soon enough."

"Yeah, right," he said. "Give me back Wanda's soul and fix this."

"Oh, I can't fix everything," he replied. "And it's much more entertaining this way."

His eyes narrowed. "Since, in this universe, I can't kill her."

Raising his hands, glowing faintly, he cast a mist spell around them. Timmy latched onto Wanda to make sure she didn't disappear on him again. It was like hugging ice. His teeth chattered and he released her. They reappeared in front of a large mansion.

The air felt different, lighter than before. He gulped it down greedily and Wanda shook her head. He wasn't sure how much of her reactions were her normal self and how much was automatic. The fairy checked her wand, frowned, and tucked it away again. She stared off into the distance.

"This is weird," he observed.

"Weird," she echoed.

"You can stop doing that now!" he snapped.

"Now," she said and pointed across town. Timmy didn't know what she was looking at and muttered as much. She continued to point.

"Just tell me!" he grumbled.

She shook her head and managed to convey frustration without opening her mouth, narrowing her eyes, balling her hands, scowling, or otherwise making any facial expression. It seemed to hover in the air around her. When Timmy didn't respond, she hauled him along the road.

"Don't you think we ought to go after him?" Timmy asked.

She shook her head again and pointed, obstinate, to a particular area. Gripping her wand, she brought them to an identical version of his house, except this one had a separate entrance for the basement. Timmy stared at Wanda who was staring at the front door.

"This is weird as heck," he grumbled and rung the doorbell. It took several minutes for someone to answer and Tootie flung back the door.

"What are you doing here?" Timmy and Tootie asked at the same time. Tootie slapped her hand to her forehead.

"Great," she muttered. "Now instead of going to them, they're coming to me."

She raised her voice. "Cal! Daniela! Explain!"

Confused, he stared as two fairies materialized next to Tootie. Both had brown hair and brown eyes, although the female had a white streak through it and a strange scar on her chest. The guy dressed semi formally, close to Cosmo except without the tie, and the woman  
looked like a slacker. She had long hair that she flipped over her shoulder.

"Don't ask us," Cal said and frowned at Wanda. "This looks like bad news."

"No shit," Tootie grumbled. "You got any good news for me, Cal?"

"Probably not," Daniela commented. "Come on in, alternate younger version of Timmy. Things can't possibly get any weirder than they are right now."

"Wanna bet?" Tootie muttered.  
 **…**

Timmy seated himself at the kitchen table and had to pause and stare at the strange motley crew before him. Cosmo and Wanda, in human form, cradled a baby near the sink. An older version of himself, wearing a hoodie despite the warm weather, scowled at him from across the table. An older version of Tootie, bright and cheerful despite the strange situation, sat beside two brown haired fairies, one with a white streak in her hair. They too cradled an infant, a female with grubby hands who reached for Cosmo and Wanda's child.

And glowering at him from the back of the room was a version of Vicky, older and infinitely angrier than he remembered her. He glared at her and she flipped him off. Beside him, his Wanda stared blankly. He noticed that the alternate Cosmo and Wanda avoided looking at her for long periods of time. Anxious, he squirmed on his chair and Vicky snorted.

"Got something to say, twerp?" she taunted. "I thought one twerp was bad enough. Now there are two."

"How are you guys…" he trailed off, completely bewildered. Cosmo and Wanda shouldn't be visible to Vicky, even in human form. "Why is Tootie here?"

"I live here," she said and added, "So does everybody else."

That cleared up nothing. He scratched his head and asked. "How the heck did I get here?"

"A very good question," Tootie said, exchanging dark looks with his older self. He heard something buzzing, like a fly zipping around the room, and tried to find the source. It sounded like it was coming from Tootie and the other Timmy, but that was impossible. Man, his head hurt.

"I doubt The Other intended for you to find us," Wanda said. She placed the child on the counter and he popped up onto the table in a cloud of purple fairy dust. She groaned and shook her head at him.

"Who's that?" he asked.

The alternate Timmy snarled. "That fucker who—"

"Language," she reprimanded him. Timmy looked to his godmother for collaboration and she slipped off the chair and onto the floor.

Startled, he went to her side and tried to find a pulse. He had no idea how to do that and ended up groping her. The alternate Wanda groaned and Cosmo snickered.

"She probably doesn't have much of a pulse, sport," she commented. "Enough to keep her alive, but that's it. You'll need to restore her soul before you can do anything else."

"From Lorenzo?" he asked.

Tootie choked and Vicky hissed, flipping off the alternate Timmy. He ignored her, though the back of his neck burned red. His hands were shaking beneath the table and when Tootie reached for him, he jerked away. Wanda winced.

"He can't touch you," she reminded him gently.

"Apparently, it doesn't stop him from fucking with younger versions of me," Timmy grumbled.

"That doesn't make sense," Wanda said. "He isn't in the business of taking away souls. That's a demon priority."

Cosmo blanched. "Can we not talk about stealing souls? I had enough of that before."

"Sorry, sweetie," she demurred and stroked the side of his face. "But my point still stands. Why would he take her soul? Why not kill her outright?"

"Because he's an asshole who leaves his dirty work to other people?" Timmy snapped.

"Language!" Wanda scolded. She relented. "Also a good point, unfortunately."

"Then what?" the younger Timmy demanded. "What the heck is going on?"

"I don't know," Wanda replied.

"It has nothing to do with me," Vicky sneered. "I'm out."

"Wish she'd leave the house," the other Timmy muttered. His Cosmo and Wanda exchanged another glance and that buzz filled the air again.

"We'll work on it," Wanda promised him.

"Wait, she can actually leave?" he exclaimed. "We won't be stuck with her forever?"

"She'll have to have a pretty severe mind-wipe, but yes, it might be time to get rid of her," Wanda said and grinned.

"I for one won't miss her!" Cosmo proclaimed.

"That's great," the younger Timmy said. "But can we focus on _me_?"

"Of course, sweetie," Wanda replied. "We'll do what we can…and hopefully, things will become clearer."

"And hopefully, Lorenzo will keep his goddamn hands to himself," the other Timmy snapped.


	2. Sound the Bells

A/N: OMG, someone is actually reading this! OMG.

To clarify, TOS means The Other Saga. And you don't need to have read all the way through, just the first couple parts.

To rukkus—this is for you. XD And there's plenty more where this came from, even though this is my only fic without reviews…

Also, one last thing unrelated to the story: RIP, space princess.

Chapter Two **:** Sound the Bells

"Why don't we start with how this began?" the other Wanda said. Timmy sat on the couch with his Wanda on his lap. She was still breathing, but her eyes were dimmed somehow, and her movements sluggish. Timmy noticed that the other Wanda avoided looking at her counterpart whenever possible. Cosmo was in equal parts fascinated and disturbed.

"I don't know how it began," Timmy protested. "Cosmo and Wanda, I mean…man, this is weird."

"Just take it easy," Wanda advised. "Take a few deep breaths. You're safe here."

"Yeah, we locked Vicky up in the basement again," Cosmo said. Timmy wasn't going to touch that sentence with a ten-foot pole. Instead, he focused on the alternate version of his godmother, whose expression was kindly and whose concern shone brightly. His lower lip trembled. All the stress from the past two months suddenly felt too much to bear and he clutched his Wanda in a vain attempt to stem the flow.

"My…my parents were arguing," he said, looking at Wanda without seeing her. "They wouldn't stop. Every time I came home, they were screaming about something. Then there were you guys. Cosmo would say something stupid, you'd get upset, and then you'd end up arguing too. And I wasn't supposed to know what was happening, except I heard you crying when you thought I was fast asleep.

"So I tried to get you alone to ask you what the heck was going on and you told me you'd only be gone for a little while," he said. He was now staring at a point above Wanda's head. He trembled and in his lap, Wanda's cold hand rested upon his. He wished he could derive comfort from it, but the frigidity only reminded him that his Wanda had no soul.

"Then you disappeared for two months. No one knew where you were. Jorgen couldn't even find you. I wished Cosmo and I would go to Fairy World 'cuz I thought maybe I could track you down or figure out where to start. But when we got there, everyone was freaking out. The sun had turned into this giant black ball, the rainbows were all broken and grey, and fairies were evacuating.

"We went to Mama Cosma's house 'cuz I was out of ideas and Mama Cosma took Cosmo and disappeared. Then you—Wanda—showed up and this creepy guy named Lorenzo— "he stopped, for the older Timmy and Tootie shared ominous looks and across from him, the other Wanda swallowed hard. Cosmo's eyes narrowed. Of all of them, only Poof looked unaffected.

"He said that he couldn't physically hurt you, but that he'd removed your soul," he said. "And that the timeline was doomed or collapsing or something like that. Wanda, she, you, man, this is weird, poofed us out of there and we ended up in this weird null world where everything was grey, before we ended up here. And that's what happened."

Dead silence greeted his words. The low buzz returned and Timmy glanced down at Wanda in his arms. She looked up at him and he swallowed past a lump in his throat.

"How long can fairies live without a soul?" he murmured.

"Well…" Wanda hesitated and it took Timmy a second to recall that it was the alternate Wanda speaking, not his. The leaden feeling settled in his stomach and though he clutched his Wanda tighter, he felt colder.

"Strictly speaking, fairies can live without their souls," she said and hesitated, on the verge of delivering bad news. Timmy wasn't sure his temper could handle it. He'd spent two months wondering where his godmother had gone, fretting over it, and watching Cosmo turn into a ghost of himself without her. He didn't even know where his godfather had disappeared to. Where had all the fairies gone to when they'd been evacuating? And what was that supposed to mean, that the timeline was collapsing?

"Just not for very long," Cosmo added.

"How long?" Timmy snarled. His older self and Tootie appeared to be conferring silently. He suppressed a scream. "Give me a straight answer! I wish you'd tell!"

"See how annoying it is when you do that?" Tootie asked aloud and older Timmy shot her a dirty look.

"At most, three months," Wanda answered after the silence stretched interminably. "That's in the best case scenario. But you don't know how long she's been missing her soul. It could have happened right after she left you."

"A month isn't too bad," he said, trying to convince himself more than her. "I mean a month is a long time. I could totally get her soul back in a month."

Wanda's eyes narrowed. "If you knew where to look. If you knew why the timeline was collapsing. If her soul is even accessible. If her soul is within your doomed timeline, you can't return there. It's uninhabitable. If it isn't, then it could be in any timeline, anywhere."

"How many timelines are there?" he huffed, his spirits sinking. He didn't like where this conversation was headed.

"More than you can count, sport," Wanda told him quietly. "You'd need to have an inkling of where to start."

"I don't get it," he huffed. "Why would Wanda poof me here if you can't help me?"

"I don't know. That's a question you'd have to ask her once you find her again," she remarked.

He stifled a groan. This was ridiculous. He'd come this far, found Wanda, only to be told that there was no way to bring her back. What was he supposed to do? And where was he supposed to go? If the timeline was doomed and therefore uninhabitable, where was he supposed to live? What had happened to his Cosmo?

"So you can't help me and I'm trapped here. Is that about the size of it?" he asked.

"It could be worse," Cosmo opined. "You could be stuck in a dead universe."

Wanda frowned. "Until you figure out how Wanda lost her soul and how to undo the last two months, that's still a death sentence."

Great. He had a month to locate Wanda in any number of diverse universes, figure out how to undo what had happened, and discover where Mama Cosma had abducted Cosmo. Were there any more impossible tasks they wanted to put on his shoulders? Or was this enough?

Poof drifted over to him and Timmy stared at him. Was this another one of the things he'd missed by Wanda's soul being taken? He scowled at the fairy infant and jerked his gaze back to Wanda, who was fidgeting with her wand. He found it easier to look at her than his own Wanda, whose expression was blank and whose chest barely rose and fell. Looking at his godmother made his heart clench painfully.

"I just thought of something…and you're not going to like it."

"Is it worse than what you've already told me?" he snapped.

"Well…yes…"

"Spit it out, then," he said, suppressing a groan. He noticed that the alternate Timmy and Tootie had left the room, taking with them the two fairies he hadn't recognized and their child. Timmy was alone with Cosmo, Wanda, and Poof. He didn't exactly mourn the alternate Timmy and Tootie's disappearance, but he was apprehensive of whatever else Wanda had to tell him.

"I…I had three months to locate Cosmo's soul because that was the deal Escholax struck with me," she murmured. "But anyone could have your Wanda's soul, sport. And it could be any timeframe."

"So I could have until eternity?" he said.

"Or until tomorrow!" Cosmo piped up and Timmy groaned, burying his face in his hands.

"Great. Do you have any good news?" he grumbled.

"You're not dead!" Cosmo piped up and Timmy groaned again. Why had he even bothered to ask? Wanda laid a gentle hand on his shoulder and squeezed. He knew it was her, by the faint pink fairy dust that landed on his neck. His throat tightened.

"Anything we can do to help, we can," she said. "But you can't wish back a soul."

"And even if you could, you're not our godson," Cosmo reminded him.

Timmy was tempted to flip Cosmo off. Did he have anything useful to say? Anything whatsoever? Wanda cleared her throat and when Timmy glanced up, he saw her glowering at her husband. The sight made Timmy feel minutely better.

"Anything we can do, short of wishing for it, we'll do," she corrected. "You must've been through a lot in the past few months and we're here for you."

Timmy was surprised by how much impact those words had. His throat tightened further and he startled himself by uttering a hoarse sob. In his lap, his Wanda squeezed his hand. It reminded him of everything that had happened, from his parents arguing to his godparents fighting to losing Wanda and then Cosmo, and being thrust in this strange universe where Vicky lived with his godparents and nothing was right. He burst into tears.

"Oh, Timmy…" Wanda said softly, stroking his hair. "It's okay. We're here."

"Even if you're technically sharing us for the moment!" Cosmo added and Wanda cleared her throat.

"Sweetie, I love you, but please shut up."

"Sport…" his Wanda whispered, in that strange monotone voice that sent chills down his spine.

"Don't cry."

Yeah, that wasn't helping. Timmy sobbed harder, clutching her tightly, and Cosmo and Wanda hugged him. It took him several minutes to calm down; this was the type of sob where as soon as one fit calmed down, another took its place. He was blinded by tears, terror of the unknown and of losing his godparents, and apprehension of what was to come.

Wanda stroked his hair and whispered comfort until he stopped sobbing. The tears still fell, but they were softer now, no longer the choking weeping that threatened to suffocate him. His midsection was cold from cradling his Wanda, but he was loath to release her. She was all he had left, fairy shell that she was.

"Sssh, sweetie, it'll be okay," Wanda whispered.

"You don't know that!" he protested, voice hoarse from crying.

"We don't know anything!" Cosmo said and, despite Wanda's dirty look, Timmy laughed. It was just so familiar that, regardless of how insipid it was, he felt comforted hearing Cosmo's stupidity. He relaxed in Wanda's arms; she wasn't letting go of him any time soon, which he appreciated.

"It's probably been a long day for you," Wanda continued and glanced out the window. Timmy suddenly realized it was nighttime there. It'd been daytime when he'd left his house and gone to Fairy World.

"Not really," he responded. "It's still, like, three p.m."

Wanda pulled back and covered her mouth to conceal a yawn. "It's nearly eleven p.m. here, sport. We can stay up with you, if you want."

"I think I'll be okay," he said, without knowing for certain. He wiped the tears from his eyes and forced a weak smile. "You guys go to bed."

"If you're sure— "Cosmo said and poofed off without another word. Timmy groaned. Wanda sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Just call us if you need us," she told him and gave one final hug. "You can always watch TV until you get tired. Or we can put you to sleep and set you on the same schedule as we are."

Timmy hesitated. The last time he'd slept, he'd had nightmares that his parents had found out about his godparents and both sets of parents were divorcing, forcing him to choose between Wanda and his mother or Cosmo and his father. And he kept saying that he didn't know where Wanda was, so how could he choose, but Cosmo wouldn't listen. He swallowed a lump in his throat.

"We'll prevent nightmares too," Wanda promised and he nodded.

"Then I wish for that," he said, forgetting that she couldn't grant his wishes. He wasn't, after all, her godchild. The thought brought tears to his eyes again and she swooped down to kiss him on the forehead. Why was it only when he was around Cosmo and Wanda did he feel loved?

"Sleep well, sweet dreams, sweetie," Wanda whispered and his eyelids grew heavy. He slid into a heavy, dreamless sleep.

* * *

At first, he wasn't certain what had awoken him. Fairy dust tickled his nose, but as he had grown accustomed to this, his nose wrinkled and he remained semi-asleep. Then someone shook him, jolting him awake, and he cursed, trying to pull away. The figure continued shaking him and Timmy blinked his eyes open.

"What the hell is so important?" he demanded. The light in the living room where he'd fallen asleep on the couch was dim and the dresser drawer lamp went on. Cosmo was floating in front of him, but Timmy couldn't tell if it was his Cosmo or the one from this universe. He was agitated, floating back and forth in a circle. His wand shot out stray sparks and he gulped, hugging himself.

"Cosmo!" Timmy demanded. It'd been the first relaxing sleep he'd had in weeks and he was vexed Cosmo had interrupted it for this, whatever "this" was.

"Timmy, you're awake!" he exclaimed, latching onto him. "Thank goodness! I can't get Wanda to wake up!"

"Which Cosmo are you?" Timmy said, frowning. "Are you the one that lives here or mine?"

Cosmo looked up at him and his brow furrowed. "There's more than one of me?"

"Couldn't be the Cosmo with brains, could it," he muttered. Louder, he said, "You tried to wake Wanda?"

"I can't Feel her in the Bond. I couldn't Feel her very well before she vanished, then I couldn't Feel her at all, and now it's like she's not even alive," he wailed. This was meaningless to Timmy. He knew nothing about the Bond or why the word "feel" should be capitalized. The way Cosmo emphasized it implied that it was.

"Let's see. The Cosmo I met earlier wasn't this freaked out," he mused. "So are you my Cosmo or not?"

"You met another Cosmo?" he asked, completely derailed now. "Was he handsome? Ooh, ooh, was he smart?"

"That's Anti-Cosmo, and no, he wasn't," he said. "Focus, Cosmo. Where's your mom?"

"Mama Cosma?" Cosmo asked. "I ditched her a little while ago. I told her I was going to get the milk again and then I went to find you."

Timmy sighed. "How did you find me?"

"All fairies have a tracker on their god-kids," he said. "At least, they did after you made that terrible wish that everyone looked the same and everyone on Earth couldn't find their kids, so they had magic backup."

That made sense. Cosmo swooped down and clutched Wanda to him. Wanda's gaze slid to her husband, but there was no awareness there. Timmy's stomach heaved. He thought he might be sick. It was bad enough that he'd known about this before, but seeing it again was heartrending.

"Some guy named Lorenzo said she lost her soul," Timmy murmured, as though saying it softly might somehow weaken the blow. Cosmo froze, holding Wanda out at arm's' length. His gaze was riveted to her, but his lower lip quivered.

"The Wanda here said that she could've been without it for two months," he said. "That's why no one could find her."

She hadn't said that, per se, but it was suggested by what she had told him. To his consternation, Cosmo remained silent. The longer his godfather stayed quiet, the more Timmy worried. It wasn't like Cosmo to be quiet for very long, especially after a rude surprise.

"Cosmo? Hello, Earth to Cosmo."

"This is my fault," the fairy said, so quietly Timmy had to strain to hear him despite being less than six inches away. "I pushed her away with my stupid comments and lewd remarks and mistreatment. I drove her to lose her soul."

"Why did you make all those stupid cracks, anyway?" he asked, more curious than interested.

"There was a Mama Cosma bust in our storage room and every time I made a nasty crack it made me feel better and— "

"Never mind," he said. "It doesn't matter now."

"She doesn't recognize me," Cosmo protested. "Wanda! Wanda, say something!"

"Cosmo, you idiot," Wanda said in the same monotone she'd been using before.

"Dude, just don't ask her to talk," Timmy said. "It's creepy."

"Do you still love me?" Cosmo persisted. He shook Wanda gently. "Baby?"

Wanda said nothing. Timmy wasn't sure whether Wanda's previous comment was a response to Cosmo or just a knee-jerk reaction. Wanda closed her eyes and went still in Cosmo's arms. Only the faint rise and fall of her chest let them know she was still alive. Cosmo tried, with more success than Timmy, to locate a heartbeat and when his finger rested upon her throat, he winced.

"She doesn't have a heartbeat…" he said quietly.

"But she's still breathing," Timmy pointed out.

"Yeah, but…she doesn't have a heartbeat…" he said and tears slipped down his cheeks. He latched onto Timmy again and wailed, pressing his face into Timmy's neck. "I killed her! I killed Wanda!"

Timmy didn't know what to say. He patted Cosmo awkwardly on the back below his wings. He'd been warned earlier that the wings were very sensitive and therefore, inadvisable to touch without permission. (And by "warned", he meant scolded in no uncertain terms). Maybe if he patted him hard enough, Cosmo would stop crying.

Timmy sucked at comforting people. Wanda was good at that, not him. Wanda…had Cosmo inadvertently led to Wanda's condition? She wasn't dead, but you couldn't say she was alive, either. She was more like in stasis, like how someone would be in a bacta tank in Star Wars.

He half expected Wanda to say "you didn't kill me", but she wasn't talking anymore. He doubted she'd speak again. A hard ball landed in his stomach and his lower lip quivered. His home was gone, he was in a strange place, and his godfather was a wreck. The only person with any sense was lost to them and Timmy didn't see how he was going to fix this without her.

"Dude, we are so screwed," he whispered.

The clock on the satellite box read 3:40 a.m. He'd only slept a few hours. He was in no way awake enough to handle this mess.

He could bring the other Wanda here and ask for her to put himself and Cosmo to bed again. It wouldn't solve the problem permanently, but it would at least stave it off for about five hours. Maybe armed with some more sleep, he'd be in better control of the situation. He didn't think so, but sleep sounded preferable to the alternative.

Unfortunately, bringing the other Wanda here would only cement Cosmo's belief that he'd destroyed his wife. Still…Timmy was tired now and Cosmo's wails were grating on what was left of his patience. He felt bad too, but he wasn't here making matters worse by crying about it.

"Wanda?" Timmy called.

"She won't answer you, remember?"

Cosmo gasped. There was a short delay and then the alternate Wanda appeared, clad in a racy nightgown that Timmy had never seen before. His eyes lingered inappropriately and Wanda cleared her throat. Color flooded his cheeks.

"I heard what's happening, sport," she said. She glanced at her counterpart and then back at Timmy. Her gaze, Timmy noted, avoided Cosmo. Cosmo flew up to latch onto her and she repelled him with a magical force field. Befuddled, Cosmo tried again only to rebound.

"I don't know what you did to start this, but you did something," Wanda said in a warning tone.  
"And on behalf of myself, I'm not inclined to forgive you until you make things up with her. Don't try acting sweet with me, hun. It's not going to work."

Cosmo looked more confused than ever and Timmy groaned.

"Can we just go back to sleep?" he asked, facepalming.

"Can do, sport," she answered. "See you in the morning."

"Wish I didn't have to wake up at all," he muttered and Wanda sighed.

"Be careful who you say that to around here," she advised. Timmy's eyelids grew heavy again and his sight dimmed before disappearing entirely. He slumped over, Cosmo back in his arms, and Wanda curled up near them. Even surrounded by his godparents, he felt horribly alone.

They weren't going to find her soul. Mama Cosma had hidden it away in a place Cosmo and Timmy would never think to look and even if they did, what was the chance they'd locate it in a myriad of other universes? Or that they'd pick up the pieces and link them all together? Mama Cosma hadn't just ripped Wanda's soul away-she'd fractured it into five pieces. Unfortunately, the last piece, the sixth, resided within Cosmo. It was what prevented Wanda from perishing. If Mama Cosma could just extricate that, then they'd have no problems. Yet to do so would be to invite Cosmo's death too, because his fate and his wife's were linked.

She would have thought that her bust had ensured Cosmo and Wanda divorced. Wanda stayed true, no matter how much abuse Cosmo threw her way. Anyone with any sense would have left him, especially with an attractive alternative like Juandissimo waiting in the wings. But, no, it was almost like Wanda was a masochist. She stayed and took it, sinking into a depression but not fleeing from the source of it.

And when she'd finally capitulated, when she'd finally realized she needed time and distance from her husband, Mama Cosma had been waiting to tear her soul asunder. It'd been relatively easy to tweak Wanda's wand and prevent her from reaching Big Daddy. Moreover, Wanda had been in no condition to fend Mama Cosma off.

She wanted to boast about her achievements, but Big Daddy was on the prowl. He was enraged someone had erased Wanda's presence and now, even further infuriated by the timeline's collapse. All in all, she probably shouldn't have gone into hiding with him. It was just that he was so sexy when he was livid. Perhaps she had a penchant for masochism too.

This timeline had Cosmo and Wanda together, which was irritating enough, but it also featured a small blonde girl who was so full of cheer Mama Cosma alternatively was charmed and wanted to strangle her. It was like the girl's charisma was almost impossible to resist, but when Mama Cosma resisted it, she resented the girl's power over her. She wasn't even actively trying to charm her. It was just that Chloe Carmichael represented light and goodness in a way only matched by Cosmo and Wanda and it drove her insane.

She was more selfless than Timmy Turner, more compassionate, and more perceptive. She was also a trifle unhinged, which Mama Cosma thought she could work with. If she were permitted to interfere, which she wasn't. Jorgen was already on alert after the timeline's collapse. He knew that it could be restored, but he'd forbidden interference in this universe. As far as he was concerned, the faeries who had fled here were to remain in hiding until further notice, a.k.a. until tiny Timmy Turner fixed things. Mama Cosma was the only one who knew he couldn't. He'd never pick up the pieces. And Cosmo, much as she adored him, wasn't smart enough. Big Daddy didn't know his daughter well enough and she doubted Blonda could do anything either.

No, Mama Cosma's secret was safe. At least, it was until Big Daddy found out it was her and roasted her alive. If he ever discovered the extent of her cruelty...he might kill her. It thrilled her to think he might become murderous. After all this time, she needed a little excitement in her life. So sue her.

Big Daddy might be able to track Cosmo down. Cosmo and Timmy. As long as Cosmo had a piece of Wanda's soul, Big Daddy could find him. Unfortunately, he couldn't find Wanda at all. The only aspect of her he could locate was what resided within her husband. It infuriated and worried him. Surely Wanda ought to be easier to find. Surely whatever had befallen her wasn't permanent.

He located Timmy and Cosmo in an alternate universe distant from his hideout. Timmy was staring blankly at some eggs while Wanda cajoled him to eat. Big Daddy appeared just as an older version of Timmy stormed out, casting Timmy a dirty look. That half faerie girl, who didn't possess magic in this world, pursued him.

"Starving yourself won't help," Wanda advised and stroked Timmy's hair. "C'mon, sport, just a nibble."

"How can you be so calm?" he demanded.

"How can you be?" Big Daddy stormed and Wanda jumped about a foot in the air. To Big Daddy's disgust, there were two Cosmos in the kitchen, one of whom was shoveling food into his mouth nonstop and the other who was staring at a vacant looking faerie sitting opposite him. Big Daddy's rage abated for a split second as it dawned on him who that was.

"Hey, Big Daddy!" One of the Cosmos called and jumped onto him. "Long time no see!"

"Cosmo, get off of him," Wanda said and forced a smile. "Daddy, what a pleasant surprise."

"You," Big Daddy growled, flinging Cosmo off his back and whirling on the human child. He grabbed Timmy by his collar and snarled. "You have one minute to tell me what's going on before I make you disappear like the timeline."

"Wanda went missing-" Timmy started and Big Daddy backhanded him.

"Don't hit him!" Wanda snapped, but he noticed she didn't thrust herself between them. He'd raised a smart girl. Or, perhaps, just a daughter who was afraid of his wrath. Either way, he wasn't objecting. No, he hadn't hit Timmy in the past, but that was because he'd been fearful of Jorgen's animosity. Now, however, Jorgen had worse problems. He wasn't going to quibble over Big Daddy manhandling a child, especially a child whose misfortune had destroyed their universe.

"Tell me something I don't know," Big Daddy warned. "Or that'll be the least of your problems."

"Big Daddy, please," Wanda begged. "He's distraught. He's far from home and his godmother's lost her soul."

Big Daddy paused again. He lowered Timmy and eyed Wanda. "You're not my daughter."

"In a manner of speaking, she is," Cosmo piped up. At least, the Cosmo that wasn't staring dully ahead of him at Wanda. Then, if she wasn't his daughter...that left the Wanda doll immobile and looking propped up at the end of the table. Big Daddy's heart clenched and he hissed, shaking Timmy roughly.

"I don't know how," he growled. "But this is your fault, kid. And I'm going to get to the bottom of this!"

"A human child couldn't possibly have done this," Wanda argued. "Stop shaking him, please. Big Daddy, listen to me."

"So you're telling me," he said, ignoring the other Wanda, "that this hollow faerie shell, this Wanda look-alike, the one who can barely breathe on her own, is my daughter?"

He inhaled shakily and then exhaled again. Then he backhanded Timmy so hard that the child probably saw stars. At this, Cosmo, the one who'd been sitting at the table, jumped up.

"Leave Timmy alone!" Cosmo cried.

"Daddy, stop, you're going to hurt him," Wanda protested. "Please. Please stop."

Big Daddy flung Timmy back into the chair and looked around him. He was trying very hard to curb his temper. The next available target should be able to take a beating. He grabbed Cosmo by the throat and shook him until his head rattled. Then he squeezed tighter until the fairy turned blue from oxygen deprivation.

"You're married to her," he snapped. "You let this happen. You let her lose her soul."

"Enough!" Wanda said and it startled Big Daddy enough that he loosened his grip on Cosmo. Was his girl sassing him? Okay, technically, this wasn't his Wanda, but that she had the gall to do this shocked him. His Wanda would never have stood up to him.

"I doubt," Wanda continued, voice quavering, "that Cosmo 'let' her lose her soul. I don't know the full story, but I don't think this is his fault. And it's definitely not Timmy's. Someone else was at work here."

"Like who?" Big Daddy snarled.

"That's what we'd like to find out," Wanda said. Big Daddy released a shaky breath and dropped Cosmo back in his seat. The younger fairy massaged his throat and gasped, trying to draw air back into his lungs. He was pleased to see that the alternate Cosmo had vanished for the time being. Two Cosmos was enough to give him a sizeable headache.

"Do you have any ideas?" he snarled at Cosmo. Cosmo shook his head, but then again, he might not be able to speak thanks to how tight a hold Big Daddy had had on his throat.

"In our universe, it was Remy who stole Cosmo's soul," she said and Big Daddy snorted. Wanda chose to ignore that. "But it was because he'd lost his mind after Juandissimo died at Cosmo's hands. Does anyone in your universe have that big a grudge against me?"

Big Daddy frowned. There was Mama Cosma, but she'd never do anything so heinous. He eyed Timmy. He still wasn't convinced that Timmy hadn't had something to do with her, even inadvertently. The kid made a lot of enemies. Timmy glowered back, although he noticed with a smirk that when Big Daddy moved his hand a certain way, the kid flinched. Good.

"I'll be keeping an eye on you two," he decided after another moment of silence. "So don't you dare disappear on me."

"Right, like we have anywhere to go," Timmy said sarcastically.

"I'm warning you," Big Daddy snarled back. "Capiche?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, we got it," Timmy snapped.

Big Daddy didn't like Timmy's attitude. He was going to ask Jorgen if Timmy had made any unusual requests in the last few months that might have led to Wanda losing her soul. And if he had, there was no force in Fairy World or Earth that would prevent him from giving the kid exactly what he deserved. Even children were not immune to Big Daddy's wrath.


	3. Seamstress

A/N: So, I wanted to post this both as the last update of the year and because I wanted to mention that this chapter and subsequent chapters are why the rating has gone from T to M. Because Azalea is a creeper.

Also, say hi to Chloe, who _finally_ makes an appearance in this chapter.

Chapter Three: The Creed of the Seamstress

"This is such bullshit," Timmy snarled, pacing his bedroom. Cosmo was with him, but Wanda was downstairs with the younger version of himself. If anything ever cemented how much he loathed his past self, it was this. His younger self had been crying and over what? It wasn't like he'd been used as a sex toy, watched his parents die, killed his anti-fairy, or anything like that. And his Wanda hadn't been treated badly, just had her soul taken out. What the hell did he have to cry about?

"I can't believe he's staying here, either," he growled. "I'm going to go insane if I have to deal with that little shit-head."

Timmy was at the age where he was overly enamored with obscenities. He was also at the age where he could get away with it so long as Wanda wasn't in the room. Unfortunately, Poof soon joined his father, which put an end to Timmy's tirade. He couldn't curse with Poof in the room, lest the faerie baby repeat him to Wanda. Plus, Cosmo frowned on him cursing in front of his son.

Tootie folded her arms across her chest. "Cut him some slack. You would've been despondent to lose your parents and your godparents at that age too. That's what Lorenzo took advantage of."

Timmy snarled. He hated when Tootie was right. He especially hated when she punctuated that by mentally caressing him. Glowering at her, he glared out the window at the treehouse. Wanda had been beside herself when Cosmo lost his soul. The younger Timmy had no one but his godparents.

"No one ever said I had to be nice to him," he said finally after a long pause.

"Yeah, you can be as big a jerk as you want," Cosmo agreed. "It'll be like punching your younger self in the face!"

Great, now he felt worse. Thanks a ton, Cosmo. Glaring at his godfather and god-brother, he shuffled over to his V-Cube. It still worked, despite its age, and sometimes Timmy liked a more retro feel to his games. Besides, it was finals' week. That meant wasting away and ignoring the clarion call of homework. He'd be fine.

"If you're going to do that, then I'm going to be productive and work on our homework," Tootie said, shaking her head. "You're welcome."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," he said, waving her off. As he did so, his sleeve fell back, exposing his scarred wrists. Tootie's eyes narrowed.

"I haven't let recently," he said, shaking his head too. "Give me some credit."

"I just wish you didn't consider it an option," she murmured.

"Timmy?" Poof asked, frightened by the change in conversation. He didn't fully comprehend letting, which was all to the good. Cosmo and Wanda, unfortunately, did and wouldn't permit the subject to die as it should. They always checked to make sure he hadn't brought home any new razors or found ways to injure himself outside of the house. He'd promised them he wouldn't do it anymore, but they worried anyway.

"Don't worry about it, Poof," Timmy reassured his younger brother. "Now, if you don't mind, I have a villain to curb-stomp."

Tootie frowned, but left him alone. Cosmo and Poof took up controllers so they could join in. For a while, he could lose himself in the mindlessness of it all. And completely forget that he felt sorry for his younger self, which he hadn't wanted to do in the first place. With his younger self in that predicament, it'd be all too easy for someone like Lorenzo to take advantage of him…

* * *

(In a somewhat distant parallel universe, where continuity is wonky)

Chloe became aware of someone following her and Timmy. Timmy remained oblivious, of course. Perhaps he had grown accustomed to Crocker tailing him. However, Chloe was on guard. The gaze upon her felt malicious and she shivered, edging closer to Timmy as they walked home from school. Cosmo and Wanda, disguised as squirrels, frowned too.

"Sweetie, are you okay?" Wanda asked.

"I'm fine," Timmy said and glowered at Chloe. "Hello? Trying to walk here. What's with you?"

"Someone's watching us," Chloe huffed. "Don't you feel it?"

"Someone's always watching us," he said dismissively. "It's probably just Crocker with one of his crackpot schemes to steal Cosmo and Wanda. Don't worry so much."

"It doesn't feel like that!" she protested. "Cosmo, Wanda, tell him what I mean!"

"Chloe's right," Wanda said after a minute. "There is someone watching us. Someone magical."

"Then I wish they'd show their faces," Timmy said, as though this settled the matter. Chloe narrowly avoided facepalming. Wanda groaned, but she and Cosmo held up their wands to grant Timmy's wish. At first, nothing happened and Chloe was almost relieved. She hadn't wanted to confront this person anyway. The malevolence she sensed made her apprehensive, although she retained hope that she could dissuade them from whatever cruel acts they wanted to perpetrate. She was good at that.

A human sized faerie materialized. She had black hair with green streaks in it and her outfit was all leather. In her hip pocket, though Chloe didn't know how she could fit anything in there, the outfit was so skin tight, was a wand. Around the faerie woman's neck was a black crystal with pink glowing faintly around it. Chloe looked up into the faerie's eyes and what she saw there froze her dead in her tracks. There was more than maliciousness present. Green irises shot through with black stared back and the world faded away.

Beneath Chloe, she felt the cold edge of a table. When she tried to stand, she discovered herself bound to it by hand and foot. To her shock and dismay, she had lost her clothes somehow and this faerie was there, leering down at her. Chloe's lips trembled, trying to form her godparents' names, but nothing came out save a squeak.

"It's been too long since I've met a suitable little girl," the faerie breathed, scrutinizing Chloe in a way that somehow violated her without ever touching her. Chloe struggled, whimpering. This was a situation she couldn't fix. She couldn't speak, so how could she dissuade this fairy from hurting her? And where were Cosmo and Wanda?

Still leering at her, the faerie caressed her cheek and then slowly slid her hand downward, along Chloe's small chest. Chloe whimpered, inwardly panicking. This wasn't supposed to be happening. Her godparents would save her. Her parents would hear her scream, if they were still in the country. But why couldn't she get a sound out beyond a faint cry?

 _Cosmo…Wanda…help!_

"Get out of my goddaughter's head!" Wanda snarled, jolting Chloe back to the present. She was relieved to discover she was still wearing her customary outfit and wasn't bound to a table or otherwise incapacitated. Chills besieged her and she latched onto Timmy, as the closest person. Timmy didn't run away or push her off like he normally did. Instead, his arm snaked around her waist. Had Timmy seen what she had?

"Wanda, darling, it's been too long," the faerie said. "Don't worry. We'll meet again. I just wanted to give your precious Chloe a taste of what's in store for her."

"Over my dead body," Wanda growled.

"Oh, don't be so macabre," the other fairy responded. "You and Cosmo will still be alive. Just incapable of defending either godchild."

She cackled and vanished into mid-air. Wanda snarled, waving her wand and attempting with no success to bring her back. Cosmo was shivering and swooped down to hug both children. Chloe slipped her fingers in between Cosmo's and discovered that she hadn't stopped shaking.

"That was Azalea," Cosmo explained. "She's a wanted fugitive. She used to be a fairy godmother— "

"Don't use that term to describe that filth," Wanda snarled. "She abused her powers and took advantage of innocent children, especially girls. Jorgen locked her up in Abracatraz, but she managed to escape. The very nerve of her, getting that close to us and then jumping into Chloe's head like that!"

"Do you mean she's done stuff like that before?" Chloe breathed, her chest constricting. Timmy glanced at her and she was disconcerted to see sympathy etched there. It must've been bad, for Timmy to feel sorry for her.

Wanda opened her mouth and then closed it. She swooped over to Chloe and stroked her cheek. "It doesn't matter what you saw. It will never happen. I will never let her get her hands on you. Cosmo and I will do everything in our power to prevent that, that, that thing from ever approaching you again. I swear it on Da Rules."

"Are you sure?" Timmy croaked. "Because she seemed pretty serious."

Wanda's hair briefly turned to flames, which was something Timmy didn't blink at but Chloe flinched away from.

"I'm quite sure, sport," she said. "You two are our godchildren and we will protect you with everything we have."

"What…what was up with her necklace?" Chloe whispered.

"Necklace?" Timmy repeated. "What necklace?"

"You're so unobservant," Chloe sighed.

"What do you mean?" Wanda asked and Chloe gathered she'd been the only one to notice the anomaly.

"She was wearing a black crystal necklace that was glowing faintly pink," she said. "That's the last thing I saw before I fell into that weird vision."

She shuddered and although Timmy took a step back and moved out of her reach, Cosmo continued to hold her hand. Wanda looked thoughtful and didn't speak for a minute or two.

"I don't know, hun," she said at last. "This may be a case of not wanting to find out, too."

Chloe nodded. As far as she was concerned, she never wanted to see Azalea ever again. If that meant the mystery of the necklace remained unsolved, she would be fine with that. She would also be fine not thinking about what had happened just now.

* * *

"The new girl scares easily," Azalea said, smirking as she watched Cosmo, Wanda, and the two children head back to Timmy's house. She had screened herself out of Wanda's magical vision, though she needn't have bothered. Wanda was so unnerved that she was off her game. The very notion of someone touching her precious Chloe had her up in arms.

"If it weren't for you divvying up the children, I'd find this rather boorish," Lorenzo admitted. "I have no interest in girls, as you well know."

"And I have no interest in males, so we're even," she said. "Besides, look at how innocent and carefree those children are. Doesn't something within you yearn to break them? Chloe looks especially breakable."

"It has been a while since I've managed to procure a version of Timmy that hasn't been scarred in some fashion," he mused. "And I've never encountered Chloe before. How would you describe their relationship?"

"Brother/sister," Azalea responded. "Do you think that will complicate things?"

"You think Turner would play hero?" Lorenzo sneered. "Timmy is first and foremost a selfish creature. He will be too concerned with what I want to do to him to worry about what you intend with Chloe."

"Chloe, on the other hand, may be the opposite…" Azalea commented. They were cooling their heels outside of Dimmsdale Elementary School. The misery Crocker induced penetrated the air and invigorated Azalea. It'd been so long since she'd fed off children's unhappiness, far too long. She had her new partner to thank for the opportunity—Lorenzo had the ability to slip and evade detection, particularly from Jorgen, like no other anti-fairy she'd ever met.

"Do you really suppose, while you molest her, that she'll give a damn about whether Timmy is receiving the same treatment?" he asked out of idle curiosity. "By the by, I find that splitting Cosmo and Wanda's focus between two children is the best way to prevent them from saving either one of them. I've never been in a universe where they shared godchildren 'legally', so to speak. This should make matters very interesting."

Azalea tossed her hair back. It was getting annoyingly long and she'd need to cut it soon. She hadn't had the opportunity imprisoned and that had led to difficulty in another corner. As it turned out, faeries didn't like child molesters either. Even anti-fairies and rogue fairies hated her.

"We'll see how far her selflessness extends," Azalea snorted. "In the meanwhile, shall we place Wanda's soul sliver in a safe place? We wouldn't want anyone getting wind of it."

Lorenzo snorted too. When Mama Cosma had approached her with the idea for possession of part of Wanda's soul, Azalea hadn't initially been interested. Then she'd promised her influence in an alternate reality where Cosmo and Wanda had a goddaughter. Her interest had peaked. In exchange for Mama Cosma keeping mum about Azalea's escape and after-hours activity, Azalea would conceal part of Wanda's soul from Cosmo and Timmy. And should they attempt to locate it anyway…

She smiled, glancing at Lorenzo. What was one more boy toy to throw onto the fire?

Cosmo and Wanda had always irritated her. They were too pure for their own good. They never touched their godchildren, not the way Azalea had. Hell, even Magdalene, who had fallen for her own godson, had never been quite as bad as Azalea. If Magdalene had molested Nathaniel for sheer fun, Azalea would have understood it. But to have fallen in love with him? That was just bad form.

Children had such trust in you. They looked up to you and expected you to protect them. That was why it was such fun to see their trust disintegrate as they realized that you were their worst nightmare.

Jorgen hadn't approved, naturally. He, along with almost everyone she'd encountered, had found it despicable for her to use and abuse children like she had. But why should she care? No one had cared about her growing up. What did it matter what other people thought? No one had saved her. And everyone wanted to protect these precious human children from similar treatment. Let them suffer. Let them comprehend what the world was really like.

The way she saw it, she was doing them a favor. It wasn't her fault they didn't agree. And it wasn't her fault Jorgen thought she was a monster. People were so sensitive.

So be it, then. She'd start her new education regiment with Chloe. She almost looked forward to Cosmo and Wanda's outrage more than getting her hands on the little girl.

* * *

After Big Daddy left, there was an awkward pall over the house. Timmy knew they needed to strategize, but he wasn't the best at that. The best person was, of course, Wanda. And the only way they'd be getting anything out of her was if Timmy wished it. Even then, the chances were remote. Cosmo's magic didn't appear to work outside of their home universe, save for elementary stuff like transformations and poofing here and there. It only served to remind Timmy how isolated they were and how much they'd depended on Wanda.

Deciding that it'd be best to speak with any version of Wanda they could find, plus it seemed to perk Cosmo up at the suggestion, Timmy headed upstairs into a house that felt like his own but not. While there were pictures of his parents on the wall, as well as himself, there were also pictures of the house's other occupants, including Tootie with two fairies he didn't recognize, and Cosmo, Wanda, and Poof with Timmy. He lingered at the last one, standing on the last step before the landing.

"Timmy?" Cosmo prompted and, reluctantly, Timmy ascended the last step and knocked on his counterpart's door. He could hear a video game blasting and his lips twitched. Maybe he wasn't that different from him. And why the hell was he bothering to knock? Since when was he polite?

He opened the door and the video game silenced. Cosmo, Timmy, and Poof all turned to look at him. His older self's lip curled and his eyes flashed.

"Dude, haven't you ever heard of knocking?" he demanded.

"I knocked," he retorted.

"Whatever," he said dismissively. "What do you want?"

Timmy peered around the room. The fishbowl was missing. His gaze caught on the empty dresser top. His counterpart cleared his throat and pointed through the window to the treehouse. It'd been so long since Timmy had used it that he'd forgotten it was there. Pink and green curtains covered the entrance and a slow smile curved across Timmy's lips. It'd been so long since he'd smiled that he thought he might've lost the knack.

"If you wanna talk to Wanda, she's in there," he said.

"What happened to the castle?" he asked. The older boy shrugged. Didn't know, didn't care.

Timmy, sensing he wasn't wanted here, which was odd because this was his room, turned toward the door. His counterpart cleared his throat again and he glanced back.

"Don't think I'm happy you're here," he snapped. "If you bring Lorenzo back here, I'll kick your ass."

"What is up with you and Lorenzo?" he asked, turning around to face him.

"Lorenzo's my anti-fairy. He treated me like shit, killed my parents, almost got me to kill Cosmo and Wanda, and that's all you really need to know."

Timmy's jaw dropped. What the hell could have made his counterpart want to murder his fairy godparents? They were the only real parents he had. And after losing his real parents…why would he want to jeopardize the situation further?

"Go talk to Wanda if you're so desperate," he snapped and shoved him out the door. Timmy stuck his foot in the door and his counterpart tried to slam it on him. Wordless, his Cosmo held up his wand and the door remained open. The older Timmy glowered at him and then glanced back at Timmy.

"I heard you crying," he said in an accusatory tone. "I don't know what you're so upset about. Things could be worse."

"So?" he shot back. "I'm stranded in a strange place with a jerk version of me ordering me around and Cosmo's depressed 'cuz Wanda's basically broken. I'm not crying now."

"Duh."

They stared at each other. Timmy didn't know what he'd done to merit such hostility. "Dude, I haven't done anything to you."

"Poof, poof?" Poof interjected, staring at them too. His lower lip quivered. "Timmy?"

The older Timmy scowled, as though he'd gone out of his way to upset Poof. It wasn't like Timmy had any experience around babies, save for the time he'd wished he was one. And anyway, it wasn't him who was upsetting Poof, it was his older self. The other Cosmo edged closer and scooped Poof up into his arms.

"Cut him some slack," Cosmo said. "He's in the same boat as you were."

"Yeah, yeah, Wanda said that earlier," he huffed. "Doesn't mean I'm happy about it."

Timmy folded his arms across his chest and glowered at him. The tension between the two of them mounted and Poof remained upset, staring at the two Timmys. The older one huffed, pushed the door closed again, and this time, Cosmo and Timmy let him. Stepping back, he tried to listen in on what was being said, but the room was soundproofed. Timmy huffed, folding his arms across his chest and moving down the stairs again.

"He didn't need to be such a jerk about it," Timmy said and then glanced at Cosmo. "What the heck? Why didn't you say something?"

"What did you want me to say?" he protested.

"Never mind," he grumbled. Ignoring Cosmo's further inquiries into the matter ("What? What did you want me to say?"), he stormed down the stairs, out of the house, and toward the treehouse. This time, he didn't bother with the courtesy of knocking or otherwise alerting anyone to his presence. He flung himself up from the top rung and into the treehouse.

The sight of the transformed space took him aback. There was a four-poster bed in the middle of the room and it had pink sheets with green curtains. The fishbowl was there, unused, sitting on a dresser near the bed. The castle was still there. A bookcase was beside the dresser and stuffed full of both magical and mundane texts; he was unsurprised to see Da Rules stuffed inside. It had a fine layer of dust on it, though, so perhaps no one had used it in a while.

Opposite the bed and hanging on the wall was a large screen TV and video game system, along with a DVD player. There was a laptop computer on top of a table with a comfy chair nearby. As Timmy walked further into the treehouse, his feet sank into pink and green shag carpeting. His jaw dropped. This was...not what he was expecting. It looked nothing like the castle.

"You know, sport, giving me a heads' up would've gone a long way," Wanda said, turning from the computer to face him. Her pink curly hair was down and she looked pretty relaxed, which was unusual for her. Between himself and Cosmo, Wanda was uptight most of the time. The thought made him look guiltily over at Cosmo, who was still cradling his version of Wanda.

Wanda sighed, held up her wand, and conjured up a small bed beside the four-poster. Her counterpart floated across the room to rest, tucked in, within the small bed.

"You want my help."

"Cosmo's being kinda useless right now…" Timmy pointed out. Cosmo was currently spinning in place and making himself dizzy. Timmy and Wanda sighed in unison.

"Why did it take you two months to realize something was wrong?" she pressed. She floated in front of him with her arms folded across her chest.

"I thought maybe you needed space or something…" he said, feeling defensive. "Wait, why is this about me? You told Big Daddy it wasn't my fault!"

"Even if it wasn't your fault, you and Cosmo share part of the blame for not looking for me, for her, for two months," she countered. "Why weren't you worried after the first few days? The first week?"

"Why are you cross-examining me? You're supposed to be helping!"

Her eyes narrowed at him. "You expect me to help you help her when you only started because it was brought to your attention, not because you bothered to look."

"What was I supposed to do?" he snapped. "It was impossible to track her down!"

"Did you even try?" she rejoined.

"Well, no, but-"

"There's my point," she said. "You only want my help because it's convenient for you."

"Can we just skip the lecture and get to the part where you help us before she disappears or dies or whatever happens to fairies who lose their souls?" he growled.

Wanda's expression softened. She held up her wand and Cosmo stopped spinning like a top. Her expression, although still severe, was not quite as stern as it had been. She gestured for Timmy to sit down and a pink and green sofa appeared opposite the bed. Timmy sat gingerly, afraid another reprimand was forthcoming. This was one thing he hadn't missed in her two-month absence-getting yelled at.

"I still can't believe you waited two months to figure out what happened to me," she muttered. She glowered at Cosmo. "And you! I'm your wife! Didn't you think for a second that something horrible might've happened if no one could find me?"

"We were fighting before you left…" Cosmo protested, fidgeting. "How was I supposed to know-"

"The Bond," she hissed. "The thing that proves that we're true loves. Didn't her absence from it alarm you? At all?"

"Can we please save the lecture for later?" Timmy pleaded. "We need to figure out where her soul is."

"First we need to find out who had it or who had access to her," she pointed out. "We need to know how they think in order to figure out where they might have hidden it."

She frowned at Timmy. "Who are your suspects?"

"Mama Cosma could've done it," Timmy said after a pause. "She's always hated you, I mean, her, and she's crazy enough to do it. Crocker-"

"No humans," she interjected. "At least, not Crocker and probably not Remy either. Neither of them had the motive for it. Crocker would want fairy power, which he wouldn't get with a soulless fairy. And Remy has no reason to attack me in your universe."

"You'd know better than me who you've ticked off," he pointed out.

She mulled this over. Timmy thought about their past godchildren, but Wanda had said no humans. It wasn't as though Wanda told him her enemies. Juandissimo could've done it, he guessed, but he didn't have a motive for it either. A soulless Wanda was basically like a zombie, minus the desire for brains. What good would that do him? Plus, if he had wanted her, he would have kept her, not let Lorenzo return her to Timmy for safekeeping.

"Argh, I can't think of anyone," he complained.

"Neither can I," she admitted. "The only name that comes to mind is Mama Cosma. Do you know where the fairies from your universe went after they evacuated?"

"No…" Timmy said, frowning.

"I do!" Cosmo piped up and for once, Timmy was glad to hear him. He and Wanda looked expectantly at Cosmo.

"Could you bring us back there?" Wanda asked. The hope inflated in Timmy like a balloon. Cosmo's next sentence popped it, however, and brought him right back to where they'd started.

"I used up all my magic trying to get to Timmy," he said. Timmy and Wanda groaned. As much as he hated it, this wasn't really Cosmo's mistake. He had had no way of knowing what had happened to Wanda and had only been trying to reach his family again. Timmy facepalmed anyway. They kept running into dead-ends.

"I might be able to give you a boost," Wanda said after a minute. "But I'd have to go with you so you could get home again."

"Or we could bring her here. Just make me wish it!"

Wanda shot him a dark look. "Did you seem particularly helpful earlier?"

"No…but what the heck am I supposed to do?"

"Cosmo will have to piggyback off my magic in order to get there and back. It's the only way. You're positive you can find it?"

Cosmo nodded and Wanda grabbed his arm. They held up their wands together and instead of the usual fairy dust cloud that emerged, darkness consumed them. Timmy's lungs compressed and he couldn't draw breath. He was being squeezed into a tight ball and his whimper was only in his mind. The time spent in the void felt endless and just when he thought he might disappear altogether, they appeared on a bright, sunny day in Dimmsdale, California on the sidewalk in front of Timmy's school.

He had a few seconds to regain his breath before they vanished from the spot and reappeared inside an abandoned house further down the street from his. Big Daddy was there, to Timmy's unease, and was pacing back and forth. Mama Cosma was preparing him tea, but Big Daddy didn't look like he wanted anything to drink unless she spiked it. The two fairies glanced up at their silent entrance.

"Cosmo-lolo!" Mama Cosma cried and rushed to embrace her son. Big Daddy inclined his head at Wanda and she nodded back. Big Daddy's gaze then landed upon Timmy and cooled considerably. He cracked his knuckles and Timmy's stomach lurched.

"Did you steal Wanda's soul?" Timmy demanded.

"Wow, talk about not wasting time!" Cosmo remarked and Timmy ignored him. Mama Cosma halted, her arms still outstretched. Cosmo didn't move into them. His gaze fell upon his godson and he looked uncharacteristically serious.

"Whatever would make you think such a ridiculous thing like that?" Mama Cosma asked with a fake laugh. Big Daddy's eyes narrowed and he drifted away from her.

"I didn't even know that had happened!" she lied.

"Wanda thinks you're the only one who could've hurt her," Cosmo said. He sounded uncertain and shifted his gaze from Timmy to the alternate Wanda, whose lips were pressed together.

Big Daddy's glower could've immolated someone. Timmy was sincerely grateful that menace was not focused upon him (or Cosmo, for that matter). His glare hooked onto Mama Cosma and lingered. Timmy's heart pounded, though he wasn't sure if it was the threat of violence looming or an adrenaline rush.

"Did you hurt my little girl?" he asked. "Don't lie to me."

"She's still alive, isn't she?" Mama Cosma retorted. "I didn't do anything permanent."

One could've heard a pin drop. The silence protracted, grew painful. Big Daddy gripped Mama Cosma's hands in a hold that looked excruciating. When she yelped, attempting to pull away, he squeezed. Bones creaked. Cosmo looked stricken, torn between his anxiety over Wanda and his mother. Personally, Timmy wasn't terribly concerned over Mama Cosma's fate. She'd brought it upon herself. What kind of person would deliberately hook up with a mafia don and then try to do in his daughter?

"You ripped my Wanda's soul out of her body and did what with it?" Big Daddy asked. His voice was low and menacing. Cosmo shuddered.

"You know how I hate her," Mama Cosma protested. "I didn't do anything that would kill her, not right away."

Timmy noticed how her wording had changed. So, too, had Big Daddy. The mafia don glowered at Mama Cosma and then, releasing her as though her touch disgusted him, he cast her aside and pinned her with his wand. From the way Mama Cosma's chest struggled to rise and fall with full breaths, he gathered Big Daddy was suffocating her. His normally pink eyes had shifted to blood red and he removed his hat, for what was left of his hair had turned to flames. So that was where Wanda had gotten it from.

"What did you do?" Big Daddy growled.

"Nothing she didn't deserve!" she protested.

"Why do I doubt that?" the alternate Wanda murmured. No one paid her any mind.

"Mama, I love her!" Cosmo cried. "How could you hurt her?"

"I tried to get you two to divorce by making you say all those repugnant things and drive her out! When that didn't work, but she finally left for a break, I grabbed her. Is that what you wanted to hear?" This last to Big Daddy, whose expression had gone from enraged to impassive. Although Big Daddy wasn't wielding his magic against Timmy, Timmy's chest constricted too and heaviness settled over the room.

"It's dark magic, sport," Wanda whispered to Timmy. "That's what that weight on your chest is."

"I grabbed her and I splintered her soul into five pieces!" she cried. Her chest heaved with suppressed emotion. "I would have done six, but my Cosmo-lolo still has part of her inside of him!"

"I know he does," Big Daddy said dangerously. "It sounds like I only have him to thank for her continued existence."

"But...but we have a bond ourselves!" Mama Cosma protested. The words came out weak and breathy. "We both hate who our children married!"

"You crossed the line. You never touch family. And you especially never try to whack them," he said. Timmy's legs quaked beneath him. His mouth had gone completely dry and he felt cold all over. Wanda floated behind him and it was only her presence at his side that prevented him from freaking out. Because he was pretty sure Big Daddy was going to kill Mama Cosma for this.

"There is a difference between a 'bond' and the Bond," he snarled. "And there is a difference between a floozy and a loyal woman. You will tell me where you cast Wanda's soul and you will tell me now."

"I gave them to different fairies in different universes for safekeeping!" she huffed. "How am I supposed to know where they put them?"

"Which. Different. Universes."

"I don't remember!" she protested. She quivered. "I did this for us! I-"

"Don't. Lie. To. Me. Where the hell is my Wanda?"

"I don't know!" she confessed. "We met in our universe and then they went back to theirs! I don't know what they did with them!"

Silence descended, ominous. Wanda floated in front of Timmy and her voice squeaked when she spoke.

"Daddy, I don't think killing her is going to do any good," she protested.

"You're not my Wanda," he said dismissively. "And I don't take orders from other people. I won't kill her...yet. Not until I recover all of my Wanda's soul. After that, all bets are off."

Big Daddy released Mama Cosma from his spell and she panted, rubbing her chest. He rounded on Timmy and Cosmo and before Timmy had a chance to budge from the spot, Big Daddy's wand had him and his godfather frozen. Timmy could feel his heart thudding in his chest.

"And you two!" he snarled. "You let her disappear for this long and didn't do anything to find her! When this is settled, we are all going to have a nice, long talk about priorities."

He released Timmy, but not Cosmo. "What did you say to my daughter that made her leave you?"

"Uh…" Cosmo hesitated. He knew if he lied, Big Daddy would nail him. On the other hand, if he told the truth, Big Daddy would nail him too. There were no safe options. It was just a matter of degrees. How much of the third degree would Big Daddy subject him to?

"If you hurt her," he continued in that same low, menacing tone, "then I will hurt you. Capiche?"

"Yes," Cosmo whispered.

"Louder," Big Daddy snarled.

"Yes, sir!" Cosmo squeaked.

Big Daddy's attention again returned to Mama Cosma, who looked like she was about to poof off.

"Fleeing somewhere?" he sneered.

"I, uh, I didn't think you needed me around anymore, so I was just going to, just going to…" She petered off, casting a gaze about her and avoiding everyone's eyes. She was still quivering in fright.

"Tell me which fairies you gave my Wanda's soul to. Now."

"They weren't all fairies…" Mama Cosma demurred.

"Ha! I told you!" Timmy said and Wanda groaned.

"Sweetie, please shut up."

Big Daddy growled at Timmy and then raised his hand to backhand him again. When Timmy flinched, he lowered his hand without striking him. The memory of pain kept Timmy from another inane comment.

"Tell me who they are. Now."

"Azalea, Doombringer, Crocker-"

Timmy had to restrain himself from saying 'ha' again to Wanda. Wanda rolled her eyes at him.

"-Anti-Cosmo, and Vicky."

"You gave parts of Wanda's soul to my worst enemies?!" Timmy cried in dismay, forgetting himself. "And who the heck is Azalea?"

"I gave them to people who could use the pieces of magic she offered," Mama Cosma said, unrepentant. "Or who otherwise needed the influence I provided."

Silence descended and Cosmo, Wanda, and Timmy were uneasy. Big Daddy glowered at the human.

"You and that idiot will find my baby and bring her back to herself. Or else. You got that, punk?" he snapped.

"But how am I supposed to do that?" he protested.

"Like calls like. Part of Wanda will always call to Cosmo," Big Daddy growled. "Use that."

Fairy dust exploded in Timmy's face and they vanished, returning to the darkness. Timmy's chest tightened again and anxiety swamped him. He hyperventilated, unable to breathe even when they returned to what would temporarily be "home base". It took Wanda patting him on the back several times for him to begin to breathe normally. Even then, he curled into a ball and rocked back and forth. Something about being sucked up into an endless vacuum and almost not existing freaked him out. That and Big Daddy's dark magic swirling around him.

"Looks like I'm helping you whether I want to or not," Wanda remarked quietly.

"Looks like," Timmy murmured when he could talk again.

"You don't think he's really going to kill Mama, do you?" Cosmo asked.

No one answered. There was no safe response. Timmy thought it likely that Big Daddy would kill her, regardless of whatever relationship they'd claimed before. Everyone knew you didn't fuck with mafia dons. And not only was Wanda Big Daddy's daughter, she was his favorite daughter. Cosmo was in for it too for mistreating her before she vanished. It didn't feel safe to utter any of that.

"Right?" Cosmo pressed when no one spoke.

"I'd better go talk to my Timmy," Wanda said, sighing. "Be good, you two."

She poofed off and left Cosmo asking questions of thin air. Timmy turned on the TV for something mindless, but even mindlessness wasn't enough to eradicate his discomfort. He wasn't that afraid of Jorgen, but that was because Jorgen couldn't really do much to him except take away Cosmo and Wanda. Big Daddy promised much more immediate and painful punishment. And Timmy was unfamiliar enough with physical punishment from someone older (other than Francis) that it gave him pause. Francis wouldn't kill him. Big Daddy could. Or do something worse. He was a mafia don. He had a creative imagination when it came to these things.

"Dude, we are so screwed," he said for the second time in 24 hours. He sighed. "So very screwed."

* * *

Chloe Carmichael hugged her books to her chest as she walked down the hall toward a classroom she could have sworn this morning was not there. It was at the very end, past the kitchen, and state of the art computers and electronics filled the room from what she could see through the small window inset in the door. If this was a class for talented children, then why was it empty? Her stomach tied itself into knots and she whispered, "Wanda? Cosmo?"

"Oh, man, you should see the test Crocker's giving," Cosmo said. "Timmy's totally failing. Again. As usual."

"What is it, sweetie?" Wanda asked.

"Maybe I'm imagining things…" she said.

"I do that all the time!" Cosmo offered and Chloe suppressed a groan. Her heart in her throat, she knocked on the door and it opened of its own accord.

A woman who looked somehow familiar stood in front of the computer serving as the central power station. She had black hair and olive green eyes. Dressed all in white, she beamed at Chloe. Disguised as her backpack slung over one shoulder, Wanda froze. Cosmo, who'd been disguised as one of her books, likewise stilled. Chloe looked down at her book, tried to peer over her shoulder, and gave up. It'd be too obvious to do that in front of someone. Everyone thought Timmy was insane for talking to inanimate objects. She didn't feel like joining him in the loony bin.

"Chloe Carmichael!" the woman enthused, rushing forward to shake Chloe's hand. "I'm so glad to finally meet you. My name is Evanna Clawdite and I'm to be your new instructor in this advanced class. Your other classmate, A.J., will be here shortly. As you can see, this isn't a very large class, but I'm hoping that your enthusiasm for the subject matter will spread and perhaps other students will take an interest."

"It's good to meet you too," Chloe said and shook her hand. She had the strangest urge to wipe her hand on her pants afterward. Something repulsed her about Ms. Clawdite and she wasn't sure what. She also was uncertain what had prompted her fairies to freeze up against her. She'd have to ask when Ms. Clawdite wasn't paying attention to her.

"Why don't you have a seat at one of the stations and we'll just wait for AJ to show up?" the teacher suggested and Chloe grabbed the spot closest to the door. Normally, she took the one closest to the teacher, but she had the urge to make a quick getaway. Her stomach clenched. She liked to think she had a good sense about people and believed the best of them. Even someone like Crocker, she knew had some light in him, something redeemable, albeit buried pretty deeply.

She didn't have that about Ms. Clawdite. At all. It was unnerving. And what did that woman have around her neck? It was a black crystal with a faint pink aura. The necklace likewise gave Chloe the creeps. She wished Timmy were smart enough to be in the advanced class with her so she could talk to him during class. However, she was too respectful to whip out her cell phone and text him to ask his opinion, even assuming he'd answer her.

Wanda appeared as a folder on her screen. The room comfortably seated six, including the teacher, so even though Chloe was right next to the door, she was also in close proximity to Ms. Clawdite. Cosmo showed up as her cursor and her lips twitched.

"There's something fishy about that woman," Wanda muttered.

"You can say that again," Cosmo replied, likewise muted.

Chloe leaned up against her monitor on the pretense of inserting a USB drive. "What are you guys sensing?"

"Definitely magic," Wanda said. "Whatever it is, I don't like it one bit."

Cosmo and Wanda's observations matched her own. Crocker was mad and could be brutal, especially to Timmy, but he was a known quantity. She knew nothing about Ms. Clawdite. The hard pit in her stomach grew and she sat back in her chair to gaze at her fairies. Cosmo offered her a smile she couldn't quite return.

Time passed and, five minutes later, AJ walked in. He smiled at Chloe-Chloe didn't know him very well, though she knew he was one of Timmy's best friends. Timmy hadn't been spending as much time with them as of late, probably because of her. She knew she ought to feel guilty about that, but Timmy was her only friend. AJ had Chester and Timmy. Maybe she could let Timmy hang out with AJ and Chester more, it was true. But, well...she was usually so selfless-couldn't she be a mite selfish once in a while?

She vowed she'd be better, when the time came.

Ms. Clawdite, once everyone was settled and logged into their computers, smiled and opened up a Google Slides presentation on her screen. It projected onto a screen on the far wall.

"Welcome to the advanced class. We'll be studying mythology as it relates to supernatural creatures," she said. AJ groaned, doubtless thinking of Crocker's fairy fixation. Chloe didn't understand. If Ms. Clawdite was magical, as Wanda claimed, then why would she want to draw more attention to herself? Fairies didn't want to be discovered, after all.

"Um, Ms. Clawdite?" AJ ventured and she turned a beaming smile upon him. She was slim and good looking; her attention gave AJ pause.

"We already have one teacher who talks about fairies," AJ said after a brief pause. "I was kinda hoping, you know, to learn something."

"Mythology isn't the only thing we'll be discussing," Ms. Clawdite said brightly. "We'll also be talking about advanced mathematics and science. I just thought you might like a breather from that once in a while."

AJ relaxed, but Chloe remained on guard. Cosmo and Wanda were glaring through her monitor at Ms. Clawdite. The temptation to speak with them was strong, but she had to resist. No good would come of it in the long run. But in the short term...oh...she so wanted to…

"In the meanwhile, I was hoping you could each tell me something about you and I'll do the same," she said. She rolled her chair out into the middle of the room so they could see her without craning around the desk.

"Chloe, don't you begin?" she offered and Chloe cleared her throat. She was aware that there were only two people in this room and one of them she'd not said more than five words to this entire school year.

"I'm Chloe Carmichael," she said and smiled at AJ, who did not smile back. Her stomach flip-flopped. "I'm eleven years old and I want to be a doctor when I grow up."

"Do you have any particular interests, Chloe? Anything that might be seen as unusual?" Ms. Clawdite asked and Wanda hissed behind Chloe. Her godparents' apprehension was contagious and she gritted her teeth. She forced herself to beam at her teacher.

"Like what?" she inquired.

"Oh, like unicorns or fairies," she said and it might've been Chloe's imagination, but at the second suggestion, her teacher's eyes hardened. Chloe was definitely on edge now.

"I like unicorns," she agreed. "I'm not so much into fairies."

"Hey!" Cosmo objected and Chloe slapped the monitor.

"I should have told you to keep the sound off on the computers," Ms. Clawdite said smoothly. "It's my fault."

"Anyway, I'm AJ," AJ said, deciding the best way to smooth over this awkwardness was to change the subject. "I'm the smartest kid in the class, or I was until Chloe moved here. I want to be a scientist when I grow up and my best friends are Chester McBadbat and Timmy Turner."

"And do you have any extracurricular activities you'd care to share with us?" Ms. Clawdite asked, her grin widening. Chloe's stomach clenched. AJ might as well have drawn a line in the sand. So much for that. But she'd do her best to change his mind. After all, so many people liked her. She was magnetic and charismatic.

"I'm Ms. Clawdite and I'm not originally from here. I'm originally from Boston," she said. "I used to live near a little place called Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. I imagine neither of you have heard of it."

Chloe and AJ shook their heads.

"It's not well known outside of the Boston area," she said, shrugging. "But that's neither here nor there. Why don't we launch into the material?"

They nodded again, but Chloe remained on guard. She couldn't have mentioned that by accident, much like she couldn't have mentioned fairies by accident. Anyone who casually threw those references out was fishing for a reaction. She would be wary of her...and in the meanwhile, she would see whether she could win AJ over. It couldn't be too difficult, right?


	4. The Bullpen

Author's Note: Three things: one, Happy New Year! Let's hope 2017 doesn't suck as hard as 2016.

Two: I doubt anyone's noticed, but the chapter titles are all named after Dessa songs.

Three: It looks like FOP's been cancelled. All the new eps are premiering on Nicktoons. That's usually the death knell for a Nickelodeon show. I'm actually upset about this. -_-

Chapter Four **:** The Bullpen

Cosmo and Wanda vanished halfway through class; she presumed they poofed back to Timmy. Chloe missed them, but she didn't summon them back. She could hardly speak with them with only two other people in the room. It was the most intense lesson she'd ever attended, considering the amount of attention on her and AJ. AJ was genuinely smart and likable, except as soon as he spoke with her, coolness entered his tone. Perhaps the smile earlier had been polite, because he definitely wasn't being amicable now.

She'd always thought she could win almost anyone over (except she'd never managed to convince Timmy to stop being so selfish all the time), but AJ was proving a problem. By the end of the class period, she was no closer to winning his approval than she'd been at the start. It almost felt like she'd slid backward in his esteem rather than forwards. Maybe AJ was at that age where he didn't like girls. That wasn't fair, but it might be true. That would mean that her inability to win him over was due to age, not her own likeability.

AJ left without a backward glance and she was alone in the classroom with Ms. Clawdite. To add to her unease, something about Ms. Clawdite was putting her on edge. As soon as AJ departed, Ms. Clawdite shut the door, which set off warning bells in her mind. Even Crocker didn't close the door between himself and a single student, no matter how much he loathed Timmy. From what she had gathered, it was taboo. She glanced at the door longingly, but didn't dare open it. To do so she would have to move past Ms. Clawdite and she didn't want to seem rude.

And again, she was trapped by her desire not to displease anyone…

"How are you doing?" Ms. Clawdite asked. "These sessions will only be half the day long, so you'll be able to rejoin your friends in the afternoon after lunch."

Chloe nodded and offered a bright smile she did not feel. "I appreciate that. I'm sure Timmy misses me."

She was no such thing, but she wasn't going to admit it.

"Of course," Ms. Clawdite agreed. "Now, the reason I wanted to speak with you is because I noticed that you seem to be carrying around a lot of dust."

"Dust?" Chloe asked, confused. Timmy had mentioned fairy dust once, in passing, but he'd never elaborated. Typical for him, he'd gotten distracted by a video game. He'd never said whether Cosmo and Wanda's dust was actually an issue and if so, how anyone detected it. Her hand tightened on her backpack strap, which remained mundane. That was one thing she hated about sharing fairies with Timmy. Sometimes they weren't there when she needed them.

"Pink and green," she said, brushing some off Chloe's shoulder. Chloe froze and then stepped back. Her heart pounded and her mouth dried out. Timmy had had Cosmo and Wanda far longer than her, but Jorgen had been pretty clear. If one child lost them, both did. It was their shared secret.

Ms. Clawdite smiled and it didn't reach her eyes. "Run along, Chloe. We'll speak again later."

She opened the door and Chloe staggered toward it. Her heart was in her throat and she only ran once she was out of the teacher's eyesight. However, after she started, she didn't stop until she'd nearly bowled Timmy over. She grabbed him by the shirt and dragged him off toward a secluded area of the lunch room.

"Dude, what gives?" he asked. Her eyes had widened and she was shaking. "Oh, great, you're having one of your meltdowns. What's wrong now, Miss Worrywart? Did you not get an A in your new class yet?"

"She knows about Cosmo and Wanda," she hissed back. Timmy's eyes widened too. He lowered his voice and had started shaking too.

"She said I had pink and green dust on me," she moaned. "She brushed it off my shoulder. Why didn't you explain to me about fairy dust? What if she uses it to track them?"

"Calm down," he said in a tone that indicated he wasn't either. "She can't use fairy dust to track them...only one other person ever did and she got hit by a bus. We never saw her again."

"Oh, great, so there's precedent," Chloe groaned. She hugged herself and rubbed her arms. "Where are they?"

"Jorgen called them back for some sort of stupid lecture," he said, although where he might've been blase before, his face was pinched. Their gazes met and held. A very small part of her was glad she'd managed to penetrate that nonchalance. The rest of her was in full panic mode. Judging by Timmy's shallow breathing, he wasn't far behind.

"They're safe, then," she concluded.

"Yeah, I guess...for now…" He scanned the lunchroom. They saw Crocker sequestered in the staff lunch room; the popular kids were listening to their usual violin player and paying them no mind, although she thought Trixie's gaze might've drifted to Tmmy once or twice; AJ and Chester were eating their lunches with Sanjay and Elmer and her instructor was nowhere to be seen. The tight coils in her chest loosened.

"You can always wish her away," Timmy whispered. "If you think she's so dangerous."

"But what if that's what she wants?" she whispered back. "You don't know!"

Timmy glared at her. AJ and Chester were waving him over to their table and, without more than a quick "I'll talk to you later", he joined them. Chloe was left holding her lunch bag and feeling bereft. She headed toward the table only for Sanjay to hold up a sign that said, "No girls allowed."

There was only one other table in the cafeteria that wasn't full and it was the one where Tootie sat. Chloe made her way toward her fellow outcast despite feeling Timmy's objections. She knew Timmy was probably berating her in his head; she knew him well enough to tell. Nonetheless, she picked her way toward Tootie, whose head lifted when she saw Chloe heading toward her.

"You're Timmy's new friend," Tootie said by way of greeting.

"Timmy's mentioned you," Chloe said brightly, hoping to defuse the situation. She already had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach about it. "He even pointed you out to me."

"Was he asking you to hide him from me?" Tootie responded sourly.

"Uh…" Chloe didn't make it a habit to lie, that was more Timmy's forte; this left her with nothing positive to say. Therefore, she changed the subject. "Anyway, I've been meaning to talk to you."

"Why?" she shot back. Tootie folded her arms across her chest and glowered. Chloe was not up to her usual standards today-she was striking out left and right. Nonetheless, the towheaded girl maintained her cheerful demeanor, even if it was cracking at the sides. She was determined to win Tootie over.

"You look like you could use a friend."

Chloe glanced over to Timmy's table and Sanjay waved the "no girls allowed" sign in her direction. Chloe stifled a sigh and her smile wilted slightly. This was the first time Timmy had slighted her for his friends' company and it sucked. Coupled with what had happened earlier today, she was off-kilter.

"So could you," Tootie countered, spying the sign and Timmy's conference with Chester, AJ, Sanjay, and Elmer. "Trouble with Timmy?"

"Oh, no, we're fine," Chloe said. It was, far as she knew, true. She had thought about letting Timmy spend time with his other friends before. It was just that she hadn't expected him to take her up on it...without ever suggesting it.

"I thought you were supposed to be smart," she spat. "Timmy will always choose his friends over a girl unless that girl is Trixie Tang."

"I am one of Timmy's friends," Chloe shot back, willing herself not to rise to Tootie's bait. "Timmy and I have a deeper relationship than usual, so he prefers sometimes to take a break to be with his other friends."

She sounded haughty and she winced at her tone. Tootie bristled, still glaring.

"Oh, I know," she sneered. "I know all about them. And don't look so surprised. I've known about his godparents for years. Who do you think prevents Crocker from trailing him all the time?"

Chloe had to relearn how to breathe. It felt like someone had grabbed hold of her heart and threatened to crush it in their fists. Her head swam and she vowed to be stern with Timmy when she confronted him how about how many people knew their secret. It was starting to look like an awful lot more than it should be. She cast another glance about the cafeteria, but saw no pink or green items, nor purple. She had yet to meet Poof and right now, she hoped not to do so any time soon.

"Timmy isn't as discrete as he thinks," Tootie scoffed. Her eyes narrowed. "Just what did you do to connive your way into sharing them? You don't look miserable to me. And everyone loves you."

"That's not true," she responded and it would have sounded far more impressive had she not squeaked. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

"I wasn't born yesterday. You're too damn close to him to be anything but a godchild."

Chloe could handle this. Tootie hadn't named Cosmo and Wanda, so it was possible Tootie was mistaken. It was a slim possibility, but she latched onto it like a drowning man seizes a life preserver. She trembled, feeling faint, and started when her phone vibrated in her pocket.

She had to exercise restraint not to pull it out and check to see whether it was Timmy or not. She glanced over at the boys' table, but couldn't see Timmy or his phone well enough to determine if it was him. The boys had clustered together over something. Should she tell Timmy about this? Should she just skip that and go straight to wishing for Cosmo and Wanda to erase Tootie's memories?

Tootie's eyes flashed, as though she discerned Chloe's thoughts, and, for the briefest moment, a translucent crown floated above her head. Wings fluttered and then disappeared. If anything, Chloe felt weaker than before. Her head swam. Had she been deposited in someone else's story without any introduction? What was going on?

Tootie was a fairy? How could she be? Poof and Foop were the only known fairy children. Was it possible for Tootie to be a fairy anyway? Why were her wings and crown only visible briefly? Did anyone else know, like Cosmo and Wanda or Timmy?

She found herself scrutinizing Tootie, but she didn't know what she was looking for. Her nerveless fingers dropped the paper bag onto the table. Too many rude shocks, one after another. Chloe didn't do well with pressure, especially when things were not going her way. This was nowhere near how she had envisioned this conversation transpiring.

She fought against a meltdown. Tootie's gaze raked her from head to toe.

"Watch how close you get to him," she snapped. Chloe had no doubt that Tootie intended to back up her threat. Her stomach clenched and she was no longer remotely hungry, nor was she in the mood for her daily charity. She thought she might be sick.

"I don't think you have any grounds to threaten me."

It felt like the words came from someone else, someone far bolder than she was. Tootie didn't have fairies, right? So her crown and wings weren't the result of a wish...Chloe was uncertain. She was no longer certain of anything, for that matter.

"I love him," Tootie snapped. "I'm only trying to protect him. He deserves them. You don't."

The girl's antagonism was almost palpable. Chloe pushed away from the table and Tootie smirked. The blonde girl needed to talk to Cosmo and Wanda now. They had to know what was going on. Even if they  
didn't, they knew more than she did. They could tell her something.

She stiffened. Tootie expected her to flee. Therefore, she ought to stay. She was no coward and even if Timmy avoided Tootie, he wasn't afraid of her. There was no reason for Chloe to be frightened of her either. Then again, there was also no reason for Ms. Clawdite to know about the pink and green dust on Tootie's shoulder or Tootie to know about Cosmo and Wanda in the first place.

Everything was coming out of left field today. What the heck was going on?

"I care about Timmy too," Chloe shot back. Even if she didn't claim to love Timmy, not the way Chloe did, she still cared about Timmy because they shared Cosmo and Wanda and because they were like siblings. They were best friends, weren't they? Even if Timmy was hunkered down in Fort Boys Only right now. Of course she cared about Timmy. How could she not?

"You don't deserve fairies and you don't deserve him," Tootie said flatly. "Now go away."

"No." Everything within her was telling her to flee. Fight or flight mounted and she swallowed past a lump in her throat. Adrenaline was rushing through her.

"I won't let you intimidate me."

Tootie raised her eyebrows, but she looked mildly impressed. She scrutinized her and Chloe assessed her right back. She could practically taste her heart in her mouth, but she wasn't backing down. It took every ounce of willpower not to look over at Timmy again, especially when her phone vibrated for a second time.

They sat there, staring at each other, until the bell for recess rang. When it did, everyone rushed around them, but Tootie and Chloe remained seated. She was afraid to break the stalemate. Her phone buzzed again and Tootie quirked her lips.

"Maybe you should answer that," she suggested.

"Hello, Earth to Chloe!" Timmy snapped and Chloe, relieved to hear his voice, spun around. "Don't you have, like, those stupid charity things you do every recess? You know, the ones that almost destroyed the town when you didn't do them?"

"I found other people to do them," she said. She felt like she was putting a bullseye on her back for spinning about. Cosmo and Wanda remained absent and her heart pounded.

"You mean you're actually going to be selfish for once?" he said, shocked. "Wow, I must be rubbing off."

"Timmy," Tootie snapped, although despite her tone there remained an ounce of affection in her voice for him, "Chloe and I have important girl things to talk about. Why don't you go ahead with your Anti Girl Group and leave us alone?"

Please don't leave me alone with her again...please don't leave me alone with her again… Chloe pleaded. She tried to catch Timmy's eye and beg for him to see how desperate she was.

"Uh, okay," he said, rolling his eyes. "Just as long as you're not planning on stalking me again or locking me up in your bedroom."

He started to walk away and Chloe's heart dropped. Damn it, he knew she was suffering and he was choosing to ignore it. Why was he so selfish? And she couldn't very well rush to his side and leave Tootie when she'd vowed to befriend her and when she was engaged in a battle of wits with her. Timmy was her only hope and he was rushing away from her.

"Is he ignoring your pleas for attention and help?" Tootie said when Timmy had walked out the door. "He does that. He's not always the best person."

Tootie grabbed Chloe by the arm and marched her out the door and toward a secluded area of the playground. Chloe noticed that where Tootie went, people tended to make way, as if in a rush to avoid her. Chloe finally understood why. People were also giving her strange looks, wondering why she was hanging out with Tootie in the first place.

"Timmy Turner cares about four things," Tootie told her. "Himself, first and foremost. Then his fairies. Then his friends. Then Trixie Tang. You're not on that list. Neither am I."

"I'm his friend," Chloe said hotly, jerking her arm away. She didn't mention that Timmy was her only friend.

"Are you? Or are you something else?" She arched her eyebrows.

This was ridiculous. She wasn't sure whether Tootie was only hearing what she wanted to hear, whether she'd had her mind made up already, or if she was just out to torment her. In any case, she wanted no part of this. Cosmo and Wanda still hadn't reappeared, much to her dismay. But Chloe was going to tough it out. It was the only thing she could do. And she'd been in worse situations than this without her godparents. Right now, none were coming to mind, but she was sure there had been worse ones.

"Maybe...maybe we got off on the wrong foot," Chloe said, desperate to rein in the conversation. "I'm sorry if I've upset you in any way. I never meant to do that. I don't understand why we can't both be important to Timmy in different ways."

Tootie's purple eyes sparked with hatred. "Just keep your hands off him. He's mine."

Then, to Chloe's profound relief, Tootie stormed off. Chloe rubbed her chest, quite tight, and huddled in a ball at the base of a tree. It dawned on her that she had three text messages to look at, but she didn't want to uncurl herself to unlock her phone. It also dawned on her this was the first time she'd spent recess by herself and not helping the needy Dimmsdale citizens.

She hadn't expected Tootie to scare her nearly this much. But she wouldn't listen to reason. And normally, Chloe could smooth over misunderstandings. This went further than that. Tootie had started the conversation on the attack and proceeded from there.

Hugging her knees, she looked up when Timmy walked over to her.

"What's freaking you out now?" he asked in a tone that indicated he wasn't sure he cared. Still, at least he'd asked. The anxiety ball in her chest loosened a little.

"Timmy, she knows," Chloe whispered and jerked him down to sit beside her. Her hand trembled.

"Knows what?" he asked, clueless. She thought of Tootie vowing to protect Timmy and thought she could almost see her point. Timmy was so painfully oblivious. In some ways, he was so cynical and yet in others, so ignorant.

"About Cosmo and Wanda."

Timmy's smart aleck response died on his lips. The color drained from his face. He glanced around them to verify no one was listening; no one was anywhere nearby.

"You see why I'm freaking out?" she hissed. "You'd be freaking out too."

"Chloe, are you sure?"

She nodded. "She told me I didn't deserve them or you. Granted, she's speaking because she's jealous and I totally understand that. If I could just reach her…"

"Never mind reaching her!" he huffed. "We need to tell Cosmo and Wanda now."

"But, Timmy...where are they? They've never been gone this long before."

His resolve crumpled up and died. His gaze swiveled about the playground again and the recess bell rang, indicating that time was up. He helped her to her feet and she squeezed his hand. As they crossed the playground toward the school, she saw Tootie staring at them, specifically at their linked hands. Somewhere on the other side of the school, a window shattered.

She needed to tell Timmy about that too, but time had officially run out. It'd have to wait until after school. Assuming Tootie didn't skewer her first.

* * *

"Sorry we were gone for so long, sport," Wanda said when she and Cosmo materialized behind them as squirrels on the walk home. Both children turned at the sound of her voice and Chloe fell to her knees to hug the fairies to her. Timmy's reaction wasn't quite as extreme; he was angry instead of pleased with their reappearance.

"Where the heck were you?" he demanded. "Why were you gone for so long? What was so important?"

"We had to attend a lecture on Azalea," Wanda explained and stroked Chloe's hair. "Hun, did something happen?"

Aware that they were standing in the middle of the street, Chloe stood up again and they hastened off to the sidewalk. She thought of Tootie saying that she didn't deserve Cosmo and Wanda and a hard lump formed in her throat. Of course she deserved them. Jorgen had given them to her, hadn't he?

"Besides, we're gone all the time and you don't freak out," Cosmo said. "What gives?"

In a subdued voice, Chloe related what Tootie had said and possibly done. When she was finished, Cosmo and Wanda exchanged grave looks.

"She isn't a fairy, right?" Timmy demanded. That seemed the most salient point to him.

"Well, sport…" Wanda hesitated.

"She could be," Cosmo said.

"What?" Timmy exploded. "How is that possible? I had to wish for Poof for you and now you're telling me that she's a fairy? How?"

"Half-fairies don't count," Cosmo said quietly.

"What is that supposed to mean?" he demanded.

"Jorgen enforced a ban on baby fairies, but that only applies to full-bloods," Wanda explained. "Unfortunately, half-fairy children have existed for centuries."

"So you're telling me that Tootie has powers. Magical powers. And no one's done anything about it?" Timmy snarled. "How come she isn't in school like Poof? Or have fairy godparents like we do?"

"It's not that simple, sport," Wanda said. "And Jorgen may have had other things on his mind besides Tootie."

"What's more important than a psychotic stalker with unlimited access to magic?" Timmy growled.

"Uh…" Cosmo and Wanda stared at each other. "We don't know."

"You've got to be kidding me," Timmy snapped.

"She knows about you two," Chloe protested. "Aren't you scared? She could blow our secret."

"Yes," Cosmo said at the same time Wanda said, "No."

"Why aren't you worried?" Timmy seemed prone to jump down his godparents' throats right now. It was very annoying. Chloe thought of something she'd read online and papped him on the cheek. "Shoosh, pap."

"What the heck are you doing to me?"

"Shoosh, pap."

After several renditions of this, to her shock, Timmy calmed down. So it really did work. Chloe smiled. Something had gone right today.

"I might have...already known about this…" Wanda said and winced.

"You knew?!" Timmy and Cosmo cried, aghast.

"Someone has to keep an eye on her," she said defensively. "And if not me, who's going to do it? Jorgen's definitely not."

"You didn't tell me?" Cosmo objected. "I'm your husband!"

"And me! I'm your godson!" Timmy snapped.

Chloe got the sense Wanda hadn't told them because they'd react like this. She offered her a sympathetic look. Both Cosmo and Timmy looked incensed, although Cosmo's anger was tempered with hurt that Wanda hadn't chosen to divulge this. Couples weren't supposed to keep things from each other. And Timmy probably thought he had a right to all sorts of things.

"Well, which would you rather?" Wanda asked, frowning. "That Tootie ran around unchecked or that I kept an eye on her to prevent her from blowing her secret and yours?"

"You still could've told me," Timmy muttered.

"I don't tell you everything," she pointed out.

"I wish you would," he muttered and she facepalmed. Cosmo, of course, held up his wand and immediately granted it. Timmy did that a lot, made wishes without thinking about the consequences. She usually thought the consequences would be good and ended up being proven wrong. However, at least her intentions were good. Timmy, not so much.

She sighed. "What do you wanna know?"

"How long have you been keeping this from me?" he demanded and then added, "Us."

"About five months. Before Chloe but after Poof. And after Sparky disappeared."

"You've known for five months?!" Timmy cried, outraged.

"And you didn't tell us…" Cosmo said, wounded.

"How was I supposed to break it to you, sport?" she asked Timmy. "It never felt like a good time to bring it up. And sweetie, I love you, but you're not always great at keeping secrets."

"Great, so now we have Vicky's psychotic sister with magical powers running around Dimmsdale. Any other bad news you wanna tell us?" Timmy snapped.

"Uh, there's a child molester running around Dimmsdale too and she used to be Jorgen's second in command?" Cosmo offered. Chloe's heart skipped a beat. She knew exactly who Wanda was talking about. "Oh, and there's a psychotic anti-fairy who's her partner in crime?"

"Don't you guys have any good news?" Timmy protested.

"Not really, no," Wanda admitted.

"Things could be worse!" Cosmo piped up.

"How?" Timmy groused.

"I don't know," Cosmo responded. "But I'm sure things could be worse!"


	5. Poor Atlas

Author's Note: Sorry this was late. Also, not sorry because no one is reviewing so I have no way to tell if anyone's reading.

Chapter Five: Poor Atlas

Timmy was in his alternate godparents' treehouse and staring at a map Wanda had drawn of string theory as it related to his predicament. He hadn't comprehended half of what she said, and Cosmo hadn't understood any of it, which had forced her to repeat herself three times and explain it in terms they both could grasp. The problem was, as Wanda had explained, there were multiple versions of most people in multiple realities. For example, Timmy was a constant in every reality close to theirs. However, there were some people who didn't exist in multiple dimensions but whose existence only came about as a fluke. Unfortunately, they had no idea who was who.

Timmy ran over the list of suspects again. Azalea, about whom he knew nothing and this Wanda had never heard of. Cosmo hadn't recalled her either, but that told him very little. Anti-Cosmo was a constant, which meant that they'd have to comb multiple universes to find the right one. Doombringer seemed erratic, but she had existed in Timmy's collapsed timeline, so they had to assume she existed in one like it. Crocker could be doing anything with Wanda's soul and there were few realities where Crocker retained his sanity. And that left Vicky...Timmy didn't want to contemplate a world in which Vicky possessed Wanda's powers. Vicky was also a constant, muddling the issue further.

"The way I see it," Wanda said, peering over Timmy's shoulder at the map, "Azalea will be the most difficult to find."

"Why?" Timmy asked. "Shouldn't she be the easiest?"

"If our universe doesn't have her and neither does yours, then there's very little that will call to Cosmo to summon you to that universe," she said. "Like calls to like. The other four, as far as I can tell, are constants, which means it'll be both easier and more difficult. You'll be able to find them, sure, but you won't be sure whether they have the soul sliver until you investigate."

"You're going to help us, right?" he asked, apprehensive.

Wanda was silent for a minute.

"Right?" he pressed.

"I'll be right back," she said and disappeared in a cloud of pink dust. Timmy growled, spinning around the room. On a cot, his Wanda remained immobile, unaffected by their planning. He walked over to her and Cosmo floated over his shoulder. He hated to say it, but she looked dead, save for her chest rising and falling very slightly. Her skin was waxy and her hair looked dull. The effervescence that fairies were normally imbued with was lacking.

Everything here felt strange to him. This wasn't his home and would never be. He wanted, more than anything, to go home and have everything return to normal. That might happen once he recovered Wanda's soul and restored the timeline. It might not. He might be stranded. The thought brought back a lump in his throat.

He also hated to admit it, but he was petrified he'd be stranded for good. He didn't know if he could cope with living in this world for too long. His hands trembled and he shoved them into his pockets. Cosmo was trying to coax Wanda into speaking and Timmy grimaced. He preferred it when Wanda was silent, as opposed to that monotone that sent chills down his spine. Why Cosmo wanted to hear that instead of silence was beyond him.

Bereft of anything better to do, Timmy contemplated the map again. Since his timeline had collapsed, that meant the nearest timeline had had events that Timmy hadn't encountered. What those events were, he had no idea. This particular universe was missing a lot of the catalyst events, but it hadn't collapsed for whatever reason. It looked like those events had happened later, but still transpired, if Poof's existence was any indication. So he was supposed to have a godbrother. That didn't help him much in figuring out where to go next, but it intrigued him for a time.

That meant Cosmo and Wanda would stop arguing, fix their marriage, and have a child. Everything would work out in the end. Timmy's lips twisted toward a smile. Everything would work out, if they could get his universe to be restored. And for that, they needed Wanda.

Not this Wanda, apparently, because she was taking an awful long time to return. It was a "yes or no" answer, wasn't it? He didn't see what the big deal was. Huffing, he glowered at the little Vicky figurine on his map. They hadn't known where to place her, so she was part of a circle of his enemies. The only one who wasn't on his list of enemies was Anti-Cosmo, but why he'd want part of Wanda's soul was beyond Timmy. What could he possibly do with it? He had magic, so he wasn't like Doombringer, Crocker, or Vicky. And he didn't have a grudge to bear, like he suspected Azalea did. So what gives?

If like called to like, as people kept saying ad nauseum, then surely Cosmo should be able to retrieve Wanda's soul sliver from Anti-Cosmo with ease. Anti-Cosmo was similar to Cosmo-they were two halves of a whole, plus Anti-Cosmo was married to Anti-Wanda, who was the mirror image of Wanda. That should be where they'd start first, then, if they could figure out which universe this particular Anti-Cosmo resided in.

Timmy groaned. There were too many unknowns here and it was driving him crazy.

And what the hell could Cosmo have to talk about with his Wanda? It wasn't like she was capable of carrying on a conversation. Timmy huffed again, rounding on his godfather.

Cosmo seemed oblivious to Timmy's irritation. He continued carrying on a one-sided conversation while Timmy cooled his heels in front of the map. If only there was some way to figure out how to get from point A to point B…

After what felt like forever, Wanda reappeared, this time with Poof in tow. Timmy blinked at his would-be godbrother, who smiled at him. Wanda, however, was not smiling. She looked grave, which didn't bode well. Timmy's stomach churned.

"After a lengthy discussion," she said and Cosmo finally stopped his stupid monologue to look at her, "we've decided I can't help you, sport. It's not that I don't want to, but my presence might screw up Cosmo's ability to locate his own Wanda."

"Then how are we supposed to find her?" he snapped back. "It's not like we have a roadmap! And what do you mean, your presence 'might screw up Cosmo's ability to locate his own Wanda'? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Language," she said absently. "It means that there's too strong a draw between myself and those spirit slivers. Cosmo is the one who is supposed to be locating her, not me. It's his test...and yours. As for lacking the power to jump from universe to universe-that's where Poof comes in. I can loan you Poof, on the condition that you don't abuse his powers. After Cosmo and Jorgen, he's the most powerful fairy in the universe and definitely the most powerful baby.

"Because he doesn't exist in your universe, he shouldn't interfere with Cosmo's ability to track me down."

It made sense, which was what upset Timmy the most. He was flying blind here and he would have appreciated Wanda giving him guidance, which really meant he would have appreciated Wanda doing everything for him. She must've known where his thoughts went, because her expression darkened.

"But what good is a baby supposed to do?" Timmy complained. "Wouldn't it be more useful to have you around or someone like you?"

He was grasping at straws, but he didn't care. As much as he might enjoy Poof's mystery, he didn't know how useful he was going to be, if at all.

"You need Poof for backup magic," she told him. "And in case Cosmo does something stupid."

"Stupid's my middle name!" Cosmo proclaimed and Wanda groaned, pinching her nose bridge.

"Oh, I know. Believe me, I know."

"When doesn't Cosmo do something stupid?" Timmy pointed out. "You're supposed to be the smart one."

"And yet, you let me disappear for two months," she said coolly. It didn't look like she was liable to let that go any time soon. He rolled his eyes. It wasn't like he'd personally abandoned her for two months. And anyway, they'd gotten her back. In pieces, true, but she was back. Wanda glowered at him; how did she know what he was thinking all the time?

"You're not that opaque. Ten-year-old boys tend to be pretty transparent," she told him.

"Fine, I'll accept Poof's help," he said. "But you'll help too, right?"

"As soon as you leave this universe, my work is done," she said. "You'll have the map and I'll poof up some provisions for you. Once you're gone, you're on your own."

Timmy opened his mouth, prepared to object, and then closed it. So he was on his own with Cosmo to fix Wanda. Big deal. It wasn't anything they hadn't encountered before. Okay, so it was, but he'd done way more than that with way less information. He could totally rock this. He wasn't panicking at all.

Perhaps realizing she'd been a bit austere, Wanda swooped down to hug him. "Good luck. Where are you going first?"

"Uh…to get something to eat?" Cosmo suggested. His lower lip quivered. "Don't leave us! I'll be better, I promise!"

Whatever had softened Wanda abruptly reversed itself and she scowled, releasing Timmy to glower at Cosmo. Cosmo fidgeted, uneasy under her scrutiny. He looked seconds away from flinging himself at her mercy and Timmy intervened. Not because Cosmo had any pride left to lose, as it'd been obvious for at least a year that Cosmo had never had any pride, but because he wanted to get this show on the road. If Wanda wouldn't help them beyond lending them Poof, then it was time to go before they overstayed their welcome.

"I wish we could head to the closest universe to mine with Anti-Cosmo in it!" Timmy said and Cosmo and Poof raised their wands. Fairy dust rained down upon him as usual and the world disappeared around him. Unlike before, with the unpleasant blackness that threatened to suffocate him, this was closer to normal.

They reappeared in a dreary, rainy Dimmsdale a house down from his own. It occurred belatedly to him that Wanda hadn't given him any further instructions. They were flying blind here. Again, he could totally handle this. He wasn't freaking out. Why would anyone think that? Ha, they were crazy.

His eyelid twitched and he glanced around to see if anyone had noticed them. Cosmo and Poof were disguised as wiener dogs and followed him as he trotted up to the abandoned house next to his own. Was he supposed to knock? Ring the bell? It didn't look like there was anyone home, which, on the other hand, made it the perfect hideout for anti-fairies.

"Hey, guys," he whispered. "Is Anti-Cosmo in there?"

Cosmo frowned, glancing down at his wand, up at the house, and finally at his godson. "Mmm, I dunno. He might've been before, but he isn't now."

"Do you know if he's gonna come back?" he pressed.

"How am I supposed to know?" he complained and then wailed. "Wanda left me! She wouldn't even let me apologize!"

"Dude, that's because (one), that's not your Wanda and (two), she's ticked off over what she knows you must've put her through," he pointed out.

"That's not an excuse!" Cosmo protested.

"It's not an excuse," he agreed, rolling his eyes. "It's a totally valid reason."

Guilt crept up on him. If Cosmo had been the reason Wanda had disappeared, Timmy had at least been part of the reason she hadn't been found for two months. And as much as he hated when his godmother nagged and put a damper on his fun and wishes, he had missed her. He loved his godparents, regardless of whether he said it or not. He should have done better by her.

Cosmo grabbed Timmy by the shirt collar. "What if we don't find her again?"

"We'll find her," he said, rolling his eyes again. "C'mon. Let's poke around and see what happens."

Ignoring Cosmo's entreaties to hold him, he walked up to the abandoned house. The door swung open when he raised his hand to knock on it. Chills went down his spine. Okay, that wasn't creepy at all. He poked his head in with Cosmo and Poof disguised now as moths floating by his cheek. Timmy wished he could derive some comfort from that, but Cosmo was beside himself and he barely knew Poof. Plus, as Poof was a baby, he needed to protect him far more than Poof could protect Timmy.

Dust overlaid everything and Timmy wasn't sure whether this was a motif or whether no one had really been in the house in a long time. Was it fairy dust or regular human dust? He rubbed his fingers in it and then sneezed. Cosmo wasn't sneezing a lot, which meant this probably wasn't fairy dust. ("I was allergic to myself!")

"Hey, Timmy," Cosmo said, his voice oddly subdued. "Who's Chloe?"

"Huh?" he said and his stomach twisted. For no reason he could vocalize, the name induced more guilt and he thought of the dark sun above Fairy World. The timeline collapsing. And now Chloe. He stepped over to where Cosmo had gone, which was the landing. A pretty blonde girl with a chipped front tooth beamed back at him from an old picture. He felt like he ought to know her and he shivered.

"Who's Chloe?" Cosmo repeated and produced a scrapbook. It, like everything else in the house, was overlaid with dust. Sneezing again, Timmy opened it. There he was, alternatively glowering and smiling at the same blonde girl from the previous picture. Confused, Timmy read the notes written in a tight, compact script beneath the pictures. Who the heck used old school film anymore, anyway? These had been done in a pharmacy, not digitally taken.

"Chloe Carmichael," Timmy read. "No clue. Who was she supposed to be?"

"I don't know," Cosmo said, shrugging. "That's why I was asking you."

Timmy cast one last glance at the photo album before tucking it under his arm. He was loath to pitch it down the stairs and leave it on the floor, for some odd reason. It was probably the same compulsion that told him he knew Chloe and that she had something to do with the doomed timeline, come to think of it. He shuddered. These weird things needed to stop happening. If Anti-Cosmo wasn't here, they needed to leave. They weren't here to entertain the ghosts of what could be.

When they reached the top of the stairs and went into an extremely girly room, Timmy put the book down on the desk and started to back away. Then a note caught his eye. Unlike the previous handwriting in the scrapbook, this was written in what looked like calligraphy. No kid knew calligraphy. Timmy picked up the note, which was written on old parchment to boot, and unfurled it, only to discover he couldn't read it.

Cosmo took the note from him. Of course he could read it. He was thousands of years older than him. He'd probably learned it in school. Timmy was vaguely impressed Cosmo could still read it, could still be mildly useful after all this time and that few brains, but he wasn't going to question it. (Then again, not questioning anything had led to this mess, hadn't it?)

"Dear Timothy," the note read, "I commend you on your first steps toward resurrecting Wanda's soul. I regret that I could not be here in person to greet you, but I had more pressing matters to attend to. This timeline is not dissimilar from yours, except in this case, something that was not supposed to happen did. I invite you to discover what that is. Once you have, you will find the ⅕ of Wanda's soul that I possess. Happy hunting!

"P.S. You won't run into yourself here, nor will you run into the delightfully light-sided, by which I mean irritatingly light-sided Chloe Carmichael. That may be your first clue."

Cosmo blinked. "Wow, whoever Chloe is, she sounds important."

Timmy scoffed. As far as he was concerned, Chloe was just another thing that had happened. Cosmo cleared his throat and Timmy glanced over at him.

"There's another postscript. P.P.S.-it never stops raining here. But it never floods. Why is that, I wonder?"

"If you don't know, how the heck am I supposed to?" Timmy complained. Cosmo shrugged, pocketing the note, and Timmy glanced around the room. Although it told him an abundance about what a girly girl Chloe must've been, it told him nothing about why she didn't exist or, for that matter, why he didn't either.

"Wanda said that her being here would've prevented you from finding her, right?" Timmy said. He stepped out of Chloe's room and closed the door behind him. Cosmo and Poof reappeared on the other side. "But she's not here, right? Does that mean the other her, the one that's supposed to be here, isn't either?"

Cosmo frowned, not like he had no idea, but like he was trying to use his magical senses to find her. Poof floated to Timmy's side and Cosmo held up his wand to scan it for anything amiss.

"Well?" It'd been five minutes since Cosmo had started staring into that wand and he'd said nothing the entire time.

"You're right," he said. "Wanda's not here."

"Is anyone here?" he asked.

"No one magical besides Anti-Cosmo and Anti-Wanda, from what I can tell," he admitted. "And there's this weird X up in the sky."

Timmy walked out the door and into the street. He glanced up, but couldn't see the X Cosmo was talking about. Poof cocked his head too and whimpered. What? What the heck wasn't Timmy seeing that his fairies were? He glowered, hands on his hips.

"It means something, but I don't remember what…" Cosmo said. "Wanda would know."

"That's great. Let's ask her," Timmy said sarcastically. "Oh, wait, we can't, because she's not here. And is this something only fairies can see?"

Cosmo nodded and grimaced. "I know it means something, something important, but I don't remember what it was."

"Maybe it'll come back to you," he responded skeptically. "Oh, who am I kidding? You'll never remember."

They made their way down the street. Timmy didn't know where they were going-he'd picked a general direction and was following it in lieu of any real instructions. Cosmo was silent, trying to recall what he'd probably never remembered in the first place, and Poof kept close to Timmy's side. This world was eerie; Poof was disguised as an umbrella now to prevent Timmy from getting soaked. There weren't any cars, although there were adults who were walking around with their heads bowed against the rain.

The further Timmy traveled, the more he realized that not only were there no fairies, there were no children. What kind of a world had no children? Did that explain why there were no fairies? No fairies, no wishes, no kids.

This was stupid. He ought to be heading toward his house for clues, not in a vague direction toward school. Huffing, he pivoted and turned back the way he came. Cosmo, oblivious to the rain soaking him, switched around without thinking. Then again, that wasn't novel for him anyway.

Maybe his house had some clues. All Chloe's house had told him was that (one), there was a girl named Chloe and (two), she had known him. And if there were no children in this universe, then something must've befallen both of them. His house probably wasn't the best place to start, but it was the only place he could think of. Why did he have to solve stupid riddles to find Wanda's soul sliver? Why couldn't everything be simple?

Stupid Anti-Cosmo, complicating everything. What did he even want part of Wanda's soul for? What could he possibly use it for?

"I remember now," Cosmo said and Timmy was so startled, he lost his footing and fell into a puddle. Irritated, he looked up at his godfather. Poof dried Timmy off and he stood, glowering at his godfather.

"What?" he demanded.

"Xs on worlds that only fairies can see...no children...only boring adults…" Cosmo said and Timmy gritted his teeth. He needed to get to the point already. Timmy already knew all this.

"There are a few worlds like this-"

"And?" Timmy interrupted, getting more and more vexed with him for stalling. "So what?"

"It's a null world," Cosmo murmured.

"Which means?" he pressed.

"It's dying. It's not dying the way ours did, with a bang, but it's imploding on itself. It's raining so much, so nothing can grow. There are no children or baby animals, so nature can't grow. There's an X in the sky because the timeline is going to be destroyed."

Great, another world like that. "Do you know how long?"

"Probably when all the adults die out," he said. Although not exactly happy news by any means, his statement came as something of a relief. Their time here wasn't going to be measured in hours or minutes. They had time to find out what had happened to this world and rescue Wanda's soul sliver.

"How come you remember all this, anyway?" Timmy asked.

"Because there was something on the back of Anti-Cosmo's note," he said, brandishing it. "It's just the fairy word for 'null world'."

He facepalmed. So Cosmo hadn't really remembered on his own. It'd been triggered by Anti-Cosmo. Then again, they weren't here on a test of Cosmo's intelligence. So he guessed it didn't matter how Cosmo had remembered, only that he had.

"Think I had something to do with it?" he asked, not really expecting an answer.

"You could've," he said. Though he tried to shrug it off, the words chilled him. Was he really so callous and selfish that he'd destroy multiple worlds? Or that different versions of him would?


	6. Into the Spin

Author's Note: Whoops, trifle late updating this again. Sorry, sorry! Please read and review! Just let me know you're out there, okay?

Chapter Six: Into the Spin

"You know, we were such a rush to find Wanda that we left her behind," Timmy mused. She was back in that other universe. Poof objected, waving his hands and speaking his name incessantly, which to Timmy sounded like sheer gibberish. He looked to Cosmo for a translation, but his godfather appeared just as befuddled.

"I wish I could understand him," he said and Cosmo held up his wand. In mid-sentence, Poof changed from sounding like a Pokemon to sounding like an intelligible being. Timmy sighed. That was better. He didn't feel like holding a conversation with someone he couldn't comprehend.

"-we have to go back for Mama anyway," Poof was saying. "Because I have to go back to my own universe and you have to take Mama back to yours. Or your version of Mama."

"So we didn't abandon her," Timmy said. "Good to know."

He headed up the stairs toward his house and was stunned to discover it was locked. He wished the door open and it swung open, revealing a dusty interior too. Did no one clean now? Or was it something they'd only foisted onto their offspring? He wished the house clean too and Cosmo granted that silently.

The house was silent, so hopefully, his parents were out. Maybe they were living the high life now that they no longer had a kid to worry about. Timmy's throat tightened. Maybe they'd stopped arguing once Timmy was gone, too. Maybe that was his fault too. Jorgen seemed to have all but said that. That everything that had ever gone wrong in the universe was Timmy's fault.

They ascended the stairs and pushed open his bedroom door. This, unlike the front door, was open. His room, which sometimes seemed like it encompassed the entire second floor, was decorated with wreaths, candles, and pictures of him. Hundreds of them, in fact, plastered all over the walls. Timmy's jaw dropped and he reflexively glanced at the fish bowl which was, of course, empty.

"Wow, it's like somebody died…" Cosmo breathed.

"I think I did…"

It almost reminded him of Tootie's shrine, except that'd be weird. And these were his parents, not some crazed stalker. He stepped up to his bed, which was unmade like it usually was. Standing on the bed, he saw that beneath the pictures were notes, hundreds of them. All of them were about and directed to him.

He scanned a few of them. They all expressed remorse over his untimely disappearance and a few pictures had Chloe in them, along with his godparents as fish or birds. That didn't solve any mysteries, but created more. None of the messages here mentioned Chloe, despite her being in the pictures. It was like he was attending his own funeral. Morbid as hell.

"Hey, there's one from us!" Cosmo announced and Timmy jerked, startled. That didn't make any sense. Then again, this whole situation made no sense. He turned his head toward the wall with the window. Pinned next to the window was a note written in green and pink ink. If Timmy tilted his head, it shimmered, vanishing and then materializing. The note must've been spelled to be invisible to anyone but him. But if he was dead and gone, why would his fairies bother leaving him a note?

"'Dear Timmy," he read, moving beside Cosmo and Poof. "By the time you read this, it'll be too late. Just know that we love you and we will always love you, no matter what.'"

"That wasn't useful at all," he grumbled and then saw something sparkling on the floor. He scooped it up-it looked like a scepter. When he touched it, it lit up and pointed at Cosmo and Poof. It was drawn magnetically to them; when he tried to move his arm away, it jerked right back. What was this?

"'P.S.'-what is with everyone leaving me postscripts today? 'P.S.-if you ever need help finding magic, just use this. It will always lead you to us."

That was great. He already knew where Cosmo and Poof were. He didn't exactly need help with that. There were knobs on the scepter's side and he tweaked them. In the middle of the scepter, where a jewel might rest, an image flickered. His heart leapt. Wanda. The scepter tugged on him again, not quite as insistent but more like a dog eager for a walk. He left his room and the bizarre shrine/grave behind and back into the cold, miserable day.

* * *

Azalea might have secured herself a spot in this universe, but Lorenzo had yet to do so. He had no desire to be a principal again, especially recalling Pauline's undying love for him. That had been...unpleasant and strange. However, he wasn't sure what to do with himself. Azalea was strategically near Chloe, but he wasn't near Timmy. And he had less of a reason to be there than Azalea did.

What to do. They had commandeered Crocker's cave because, as Azalea had pointed out, it had the best fairy detection equipment in this universe. Right now, Lorenzo was tinkering with one particular wand so that it could locate any foreign magic, but it wasn't going well. For one thing, he lacked the patience for it. For another, he wasn't skilled with mechanical things. In fact, one might venture to say he lacked the ability entirely.

If he was Timmy's anti-fairy, then surely he ought to be adept at it. That wasn't proving to be the case. Frustrated, Lorenzo kicked one of the overlarge computers and it squawked at him.

"Fairy alert, fairy alert!"

Lorenzo flipped it off and then, grabbing a wand Azalea had bestowed upon him, shut the damn thing off before it could alert anyone else. The other problem was that he was bored-he couldn't figure out how to help Azalea any better than he was and he didn't know how to get at Timmy right away. Plus, there was, and always would be, the obstacles known as Cosmo and Wanda.

And Poof, too, apparently, for this universe had him. It'd also briefly possessed a dog named Sparky, but Lorenzo's first order of business upon entering the universe was to strip the dog of its immortality and then run it over repeatedly. No one had missed it. Hell, no one even seemed to remember it.

He needed to get into a position where Timmy at least partially trusted him. Chloe admired authority figures, so that was the ideal place for Azalea to work. Who did Timmy trust, besides his godparents? He definitely didn't trust Vicky. However, that meant there might be an opening if he could convince Timmy's parents to permit him to babysit Vicky. He'd have to undercut her rates, which was fine because he wasn't doing it for the money. He was doing it for the love of the thing.

But would he be encroaching upon Azalea's territory if he babysat Timmy? Well, no, he supposed not, if he weren't babysitting Chloe and Timmy simultaneously. He'd have to ask her once school was over and she returned. But then again, school should already be over. What was taking her so long?

He had to school himself to patience again. Nothing would work as seamlessly as the first time, which had had its own bumps and hurdles. On the plus side, he was an unknown in this universe, which meant he had a clean slate. Azalea wasn't so fortunate-Cosmo and Wanda had heard of her, but unless she directly interacted with the fairies, that wouldn't be an issue just yet.

Timmy's parents wouldn't stand in his way, would they? Their ability to detect harm to their son was on par with Cosmo's intellect. Maybe worse, because Cosmo occasionally showed insight. Timmy's parents wouldn't have noticed if they'd left their son stranded in the middle of a highway with an 18 wheeler bearing down on him, especially if Vicky had been the one to bring him there. No, they'd probably believe her telling them that it was an accident.

If Cosmo and Wanda were Timmy's parents, then Lorenzo might have worried. They knew better than anyone where danger was.

All this theoretical discussion was boring him, however. He needed to get out there and do something. He'd offer his services to Timmy's parents and see where that took him. They'd probably intended to go out that very evening or the next one. They were seldom home and when they were, they paid little attention to their son.

Abandoning his stupid project, he ascended into the school, pushed open the locker, and inhaled. Fairy dust was everywhere. Cosmo and Wanda had been here, then, as had Azalea. Azalea, unlike him, actually produced fairy dust. There was an unknown source elsewhere, and then probably Poof's. He locked up behind him, glanced at Timmy's classroom which was empty, and then headed out the door.

He'd have to be careful to take a separate route to reach Timmy's house, so he wasn't seen as suspicious. Also, he didn't intend to alert Chloe and possibly spoil Azalea's plans. He needed to scout out Timmy's routines in this universe, so he could figure out what to do from there. But first-babysitting. It'd give him alone time with Timmy and possibly a way to avoid Cosmo and Wanda while he was at it. Not that he could attempt anything yet-he needed to establish trust first. Then he'd make his move. He suspected Azalea's plans were identical in that regard.

He might have been in a better mood to charm Timmy's parents had he not sneaked a glimpse of Timmy and his fairies later that day. Tempted beyond reason to see his target again, Lorenzo DeMedici had chanced by the video arcade that Timmy was frequenting. Video arcades were going out of vogue, but this particular place had all the old favorites, as well as selling new games. Timmy had stopped by to ogle an M rated game that Lorenzo would have been all too glad to purchase for him, in exchange for certain liberties. Cosmo and Wanda were disguised as pins on his backpack.

Lorenzo busied himself attempting Pac-Man. Like his earlier ventures, this proved pointless. He was Timmy's anti-fairy, which unfortunately meant here that his video game prowess was pathetic at best. He died within the first several minutes. He was starting to seriously wonder if there was anything he was good at. Strategy. He tended to think further ahead than his sire. He was also good at battle and murderous to boot. Timmy lacked that bloodthirsty edge, the one that would have permitted him to execute Cosmo and Wanda in cold blood.

He was within five feet of Timmy and Cosmo and Wanda jerked as though Lorenzo had snapped a whip at them. He hadn't anticipated that reaction and bared his teeth.

"Hey, sport," Wanda murmured, "I'm sensing some strange magic here."

"Yeah, and not friendly, either," Cosmo added.

"Where?" he asked, craning his neck. He saw the store purveyor, a few kids, and his gaze fell upon Lorenzo. Lorenzo resumed a stoic expression and inclined his head toward Timmy. He was aware that he bore a striking resemblance to the eleven year old, but Azalea's faerie glamour had dulled much of it. Normal people's gazes would slide over it. Timmy's certainly didn't. Cosmo and Wanda weren't fooled.

"I don't see anything," Timmy said and Lorenzo withheld a snort. No, of course he didn't. He was oblivious to everything.

Chloe entered the shop and the bells over the door chimed. Cosmo and Wanda were distracted, although he could feel Wanda's focus upon him. Stupid frach. When would she learn to leave well enough alone? How the hell did she know what he was about without even speaking to him?

"Timmy, there you are," she said. Even with only a passing familiarity with the girl, Lorenzo could tell her proverbial feathers were ruffled. Chloe's hair was slightly askew, her hands trembled (she shoved them into her pockets), and she latched onto Timmy like a lifeline. Oddly enough, Lorenzo wasn't too troubled by this. Perhaps it was because Azalea had plans for her. Perhaps it was just because he knew Timmy didn't see Chloe like that. Yes, he was mildly irritated because someone else had her hands on him, but her distress was more important. And it was almost palpable. Chloe was rather high-strung and easily rattled. No wonder Azalea favored her.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, as though she'd intruded on one of his sanctums. Lorenzo bit back a smile. She had.

"Looking for you," she responded, shaking her head at him. "You haven't been answering your phone."

"Oh, that," he said dismissively. "I put it on silent and chucked it in the back of my backpack."

Chloe growled and her eyes scanned the area. Her gaze fell upon Lorenzo, who inclined his head and offered her a slight smile. Wanda's gaze also returned to Lorenzo, whose smile became hard at the edges when their eyes met. Like hell he was playing nice with Timmy's godparents. They were already suspicious. He wasn't here to allay their fears.

"Your game is over," Chloe said politely and Lorenzo looked back at his screen. Son of a bitch. It was indeed. Grumbling, he forked over another dollar (what a ripoff) and started it up again. Timmy moved behind him and Lorenzo's heart skipped a beat. Maybe this wouldn't be such a waste of time after all.

"You look kinda familiar," Timmy said and Lorenzo again had to bite back a laugh. "Sir Point Out the Obvious a Lot, you're not dead!"

"Do I?" Lorenzo remarked. "I'm fairly certain we've never met."

"Dude, the game is starting!" he exclaimed, abruptly changing the subject. He jumped up onto the controls without asking and his hand brushed Timmy's. His heart skipped another beat. Timmy commandeered the controls so quickly Lorenzo was left with his mouth open.

"I'm sorry about that," Chloe told him. "Timmy can be aggressive when it comes to video games."

"Er, that's all right," he said, baffled. Timmy had interposed himself between the video game and Lorenzo and Lorenzo had to move back, because he was getting an erection. Nothing would spoil his plans more like premature exposure.

"I suck at it anyway," he offered as explanation. "Timmy can play if he wants to."

Wanda cleared her throat and Timmy ignored her. Lorenzo's lips twitched. Some things never changed.

"I'm afraid I have pressing business elsewhere," Lorenzo announced. "I'm looking for babysitting jobs."

If the children found anything strange about someone close to thirty inquiring about a typically teenage enterprise, neither commented. Timmy paused the game (the damn game had a pause button? Where the hell had Timmy found it?) and glanced at him. Home glimmered in his eyes.

"Are you cheaper than Vicky?" he asked. The Other smirked. He well recalled Vicky's animosity toward Timmy. If Lorenzo hadn't gotten to him first, he was fairly certain Vicky would've made her move on his sire sooner rather than later. It briefly endeared her to him, which irritated him a moment later. Vicky was inconsequential.

"How much does Vicky charge?" he asked.

"A fortune," Timmy grumbled. Louder, he said, "I bet if you undercut her, my parents would hire you. I'd rather have a cool guy who likes to play video games than a babysitter from hell any day."

Wanda's expression flickered, going from glowering at Lorenzo to worried. She poked Timmy to gain his attention, but again he ignored her. Willful child. As usual, Wanda knew better than her godson and as usual, he disregarded her.

It seemed Chloe possessed a more level head than Timmy. "You don't even know him," she whispered.

"I know he's better than Vicky," he boasted. Lorenzo was alternately baffled and amused. He had such confidence in a complete stranger. He had no idea what Lorenzo intended for him and as far as he was concerned, whatever Lorenzo wanted was benign. Here was true innocence. He would enjoy smashing it to pieces.

"I'll see if your parents agree," he responded and was about to take his leave when Timmy halted him.

"Don't you need directions to my house?" he asked. Wanda hissed and looked like she had stern words intended.

"Of course," he said, feigning bashfulness. "How could I have been so stupid? Yes, please. Otherwise I'll probably just be knocking on doors everywhere in Dimmsdale."

Timmy gave him directions and this time, Lorenzo departed after thanking him and without a backward glance. He could just hear Wanda starting up when he exited. There, that wasn't so bad. Cosmo and Wanda were already suspicious, but there wasn't much he could do about that. They could sense magic, especially anti-fairies. It was no surprise that they were already on his trail. He'd have to contrive ways to be without his godparents, which should be easier with Azalea's wand. He could just conjure a forcefield that prevented them from entering the living room and then feign ignorance if someone brought it up.

After this, speaking with Timmy's parents ought to be a formality. They were eager to throw their money at people in order to be selfish and take nights out without regard for their son's safety. If he had cared more for Timmy's safety, he would have disdained them. Unlike in his home universe, he had no reason to murder them here. He didn't need unlimited access to Timmy's body. Or, rather, he would have loved it, but he didn't share the mind with Timmy (and Gary, son of a bitch that he was). His parents were far less of an obstacle than the fairies.

He loathed how protective Cosmo and Wanda were over Timmy, especially Wanda. The frach never knew when to quit or to lay down and die. He wished he could teach her a lesson that would reverberate through the universes and keep her from interfering. Perhaps Azalea could assist with that. After all, she had part of another Wanda's soul hostage. She had to know how to break Wanda into tiny pieces.

He smiled at the thought. Was there a way to break the multiverse and get what he wanted? Yes, he thought there might be. And who said he shouldn't dream big? With Wanda out of his way, Cosmo the idiot would be Timmy's sole custodian. Cosmo posed little to no threat to Lorenzo. Yes, he liked this idea very much.

He needed to find Azalea and start planning. He knew she hated Cosmo and Wanda too, so she had a vested interest in this. Plus, with Cosmo and Wanda out of the way, she would enjoy unfettered access to Chloe. He grinned.

He'd never imagined something so ambitious before, but you had to start somewhere, didn't you?

* * *

Timmy's parents agreed readily enough and Timmy barely had a chance to say goodbye before they fled. He tried to ignore the way his heart wrenched at their passing. Chloe was busy with homework and afterschool activities, for once unable to hang out with him. She promised she'd be available tomorrow and Timmy had acted like he wouldn't miss her for one day. Maybe he wouldn't. After all, he'd gotten along fine without her. He didn't see why he should suddenly suffer for her absence.

Lorenzo was ready and waiting with more video games, including the one he'd been eying before. Excited, he practically leapt at the man, who stepped back before they made physical contact. Yeah, maybe it was totally weird to hug a stranger, but Timmy knew he'd bought that super violent and sex-riddled game for him. His parents would never have allowed him to play if they had known. Good thing what they didn't know couldn't hurt them, huh?

They ordered pizza and settled in. Timmy ignored his homework-he'd just copy off Chloe in the morning. What was up with her weird new teacher, anyway? Why were she and A.J. the only ones in that class? Not that Timmy wanted be in a class full of smarties, mind you, and he didn't want the extra academic attention either. But he wanted to be in a class with all of his friends, not just some.

Cosmo and Wanda were hanging around Timmy as pillows and cushions. Lorenzo nearly squashed Wanda and when she yelped, he apologized, although he looked confused as to why a pillow would cry. Timmy had had to make some excuse, but he wasn't sure Lorenzo bought it. Sometimes people didn't. And then Timmy would sweat and hope he could contrive something better later.

"Which game would you like to play first?" Lorenzo asked and then smirked. "I assume the idea of homework is not happening."

"Nope, the Not Study Game it is!" Timmy announced. "You're already playing, in case you were wondering."

Lorenzo shook his head, not in rebuke, but in mild shock. "I wonder at your grades."

"What grades?" Timmy scoffed. "Grades aren't important. Video games totally are. Let's play the latest super violent ultra sex filled Hero of War game!"

Lorenzo shook his head, not in rebuke, but in mild shock. "I wonder at your grades."

"What grades?" Timmy scoffed. "Grades aren't important. Video games totally are. Let's play the latest super violent ultra sex filled Hero of War game!"

Wanda sighed and Timmy deliberately sat on her this time to kill her objections. What was her problem? He didn't understand why she and Cosmo were bugging. There was nothing unusual or nefarious about this guy. They were way overreacting.

Besides, Lorenzo wasn't even sitting that close to him. He respected the bro code. And he had Cosmo on his lap...but he wasn't sure why Cosmo was squirming and trying to get away. Didn't he realize that was weird behavior for a pillow?

Cosmo managed to squeeze out from underneath Lorenzo's elbows and, gasping, pulled Wanda closer to him. They disappeared off the couch, and, unperturbed, Lorenzo grabbed another pillow to hold. Yeah, okay, it was weird, but whatever. Timmy didn't see what the big deal was.

Relaxing, he went back to playing Hero of War with Lorenzo watching on. Lorenzo was so pathetic at video games anyway that it wouldn't have made any sense for him to play by himself.

He grew engrossed in his time and didn't notice Lorenzo inching closer to him. The pizza came and Lorenzo was back where he'd been before anyway. So maybe Timmy had been imagining things.

"Pizza for dinner's the best," Timmy told him.

"Not very nutritious, though," he teased.

"Blech, who needs nutrition?" he said and grimaced. He grabbed a particularly cheesy slice and started when the phone rang. Huh. There hadn't been a landline in this room in ages. And it was pink, with the base being green.

"What do you want? I'm busy," he said into the phone.

"Sport, we need to talk," Wanda said. "Now."

"I said I'm busy," he said, rolling his eyes. "Whatever it is can totally wait."

"No, it can't," she shot back. "This is important."

He sighed. How was he going to explain this to Lorenzo? Well, maybe he didn't have to tell him the whole truth. Honestly, what was so important? He just wanted to play his game in peace. He knew Wanda disapproved of it-did she want to speak to him regarding the game? If so, then he'd just blow her off.

"Is this about the stupid game?" he said, rolling his eyes again. "Because it's totally fine."

"This has nothing to do with that horrible game. Just please come up here and talk to us."

"Fine, fine."

To Lorenzo, he said, "Dude, I gotta go upstairs for a second. Don't play without me, okay?"

Lorenzo nodded and promised he wouldn't. Still grousing inwardly, Timmy ascended the stairs, opened the door to his room, and then closed it behind him. Cosmo and Wanda were floating in front of him and their expressions were grave. He'd expected it out of Wanda, but not Cosmo.

"What gives?" he asked.

"I don't know how to break this to you, hun, but Lorenzo's a bad apple," Wanda said.

"Huh?" he said. And, then, in typical form, he blew her off. "No, he's not. Just because he's the first cool guy to babysit me. You guys are just jealous."

"You remember how Doidle used to hump furniture?" Cosmo asked and Timmy, startled and blindsided by the change in subject, gawked at him.

"Yeah, so?" he said. "That was before Vicky got him fixed."

"Lorenzo could do with some fixing," Wanda muttered darkly.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"How do we say this without saying it…" Wanda said and looked at her husband. "Any ideas?"

"Why are you looking at me? You're the one with the brains!"

"Sport, there are some people who like children a little too much," she began cautiously. "People who take advantage of them and want to hurt them."

"Lorenzo's not like that," he scoffed. "If he'd wanted to hurt me, he would have done so already."

"I'm not so sure about that…" she replied. "He may be waiting for an opportunity."

Timmy had no idea what his godparents were talking about. He looked from one to the other and both were frowning at him. They hadn't warned him off Vicky, but then again, Vicky was part of the reason he had godparents. He folded his arms across his chest.

"So...what? You think he's gonna jump me?" he asked.

"Not exactly…oh, this would have been so much easier if your parents had told you already…" she said, looking stressed.

"Told me about what?"

"Where babies come from," Cosmo replied.

"I know that," he scoffed. "There's a machine and-"

"No!" Wanda cried. "Look, let's just say that Lorenzo is a bad person and I don't want him around you, okay? I don't trust him as far as I can throw him and Cosmo and I both think it'd be better if he didn't babysit you ever again."

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Look, is this about the game?"

"For Pete's sake, Timmy, this has nothing to do with that damn game!" Wanda said and Cosmo and Timmy gawked at her. That was the first time he'd ever heard her curse, albeit mildly. He blinked and Cosmo backed away slightly from his wife. Uh oh.

"She's gonna blow," Cosmo muttered.

"He wants to hurt you," she snapped.

"Like Vicky," he said and shook his head. "He's nothing like Vicky."

Wanda screamed. She threw her hands in the air and looked like she'd like nothing better than to throttle him. Her hair turned briefly to fire.

"Listen to me," she snapped. "He wants to hurt you in a different way than Vicky. A less obvious way. And maybe Vicky wants that too-we don't know and quite frankly, we don't want to find out. But I am warning you that he's not a good person and he intends to do you harm."

"Okay, okay," he said, holding up his hands. "Sheesh. How about this-the moment I think he's gonna hurt me, I'll call for you guys, okay?"

"By then it might already be too late!" she objected. "Timmy, I know you don't take me seriously at the best of times. But Cosmo and I are in agreement on this. Lorenzo is dangerous. He's the source of the magic we detected earlier. I'm positive."

"So, what?" he said. "Are you saying he's a fairy?"

Wanda banged her head into the wall and left a sizeable dent. Cosmo moved over to her and murmured something. A moment later, Cosmo swooped over to Timmy.

"If he's a fairy, he's an anti-fairy and he's an evil one to boot," he said. "Worse than Anti-me and Foop. Combined. If you won't listen to Wanda, listen to me. He's trouble with a capital T. You're better off with Vicky."

Cosmo did offer a persuasive argument. It was seldom that he was on Wanda's side on these things. But still...he wanted Lorenzo to keep coming over so he could play videogames with him. And he still had no clue what his godparents were upset about.

"I'll be fine," Timmy said. "What could possibly go wrong?"

Wanda muttered something both unkind and unlikely to appear in a kids' movie any time soon. Glowering at Timmy, she poofed back into the fishbowl. "Don't say we didn't warn you, sport."

"But we'll still come to your rescue," Cosmo added, changing into a fish too. "Unless, of course, we can't."

Someone knocked on the door and Timmy opened it to discover Lorenzo on the other side.

"Are you all right?" he asked. "You were in there an awfully long time."

"You didn't hear anything, did you?" he asked, anxious.

"Was I supposed to?" he inquired, shaking his head. "C'mon, let's go back to your game."

Timmy hesitated. His godparents' words reverberated in his mind. What could be worse than Vicky? And if Lorenzo was an anti-fairy, whose anti-fairy was he? Why would that mean he'd want to hurt Timmy? Anti-Cosmo and Anti-Wanda were fond of him. He didn't understand any of this.

"Is there a problem?"

"No, no problem," Timmy said after a long pause. "Let's go."

He walked out of the room and closed the door in time to hear Wanda issue one long, aggravated sigh.


	7. Fire Drills

Chapter Seven: Fire Drills

Perhaps she should have felt guilty summoning Cosmo and Wanda when she knew Timmy's parents were out. Indeed, it nudged at her, but she was upset over Ms. Clawdite. She needed to talk to them. They appeared in an instant, showering her in fairy dust, and it took all her power not to cry at seeing them. They must've sensed something, too, because they exchanged glances and a low hum filled the air. Timmy had never inquired about that, but Chloe had. It turned out true loves had telepathy, and although Mama Cosma had come perilously close to destroying their relationship a little while ago, it had slowly begun to rebuild. Here was an indication of that.

"What's the matter, hun?" Wanda asked. "You usually don't call for us during homework."

Chloe was seated at her desk and staring at her math homework without seeing it. She knew she ought to be getting the answers, but they eluded her. All she could think of was that strange woman and the vibes she got from her. She hadn't had a chance to speak with Timmy either, for that matter, and she rubbed her palms along her pant legs.

"Unless you wanna play the not-study game?" Cosmo offered and grinned. "Timmy loves that game."

Chloe shook her head. "You guys got weird vibes from Ms. Clawdite too, right?"

"Yes..." Wanda said, frowning. "Why? What's up?"

"I can't get her out of my mind," she said. "You said she had magical residue, right?"

"Yeah, which can come from either having magic or being around magic for too long," Cosmo commented. "You and Timmy have it."

Chloe realized she was rubbing her palm along her pant leg compulsively and tried to stop it. Her therapist was worried she might have OCD on top of generalized anxiety disorder and perfectionism. She performed the compulsions that were indicative of OCD, although at least she wasn't tearing at her lip or scratching her leg. It was part of why she wore long black pants, in case she got the temptation to scratch furrows down her legs.

"What do you think it means?" she burst out. "Is she an enemy like Crocker? Is she something else?"

"We...we don't know what it means..." Wanda admitted, looking almost sheepish. "We haven't been around her enough to tell. And she hasn't done anything overt that would alert us to her, one way or another. You might have to wait it out, sweetie."

That was not the answer she'd wanted to hear. Clenching her teeth, she tried not to have another meltdown. Two in one day was enough. Tootie hadn't helped matters. Inside her head, she was screaming and thrashing things. She drew a shaky breath, attempted to calm herself, and clenched and unclenched her fists.

"Don't worry-" Cosmo reassured her, "-we'll be there every step of the way unless Timmy calls us first."

Wanda's eyes narrowed. "I don't like this. It feels like someone is orchestrating an attack on both of our godchildren at once."

Chloe knew Wanda could just have easily conveyed that via thought speech and was grateful she'd chosen to vocalize it instead. However, the words themselves brought her little comfort. Was someone attacking Timmy too? Who? What was going on? Were their enemies colluding? She caught herself rubbing her pant leg again.

"What's going on with Timmy?" she blurted.

"Chloe, have your parents told you about the birds and the bees?" Wanda asked. "We haven't had you that long, so we only know Timmy's background."

"Of course they did," she said and cocked her head curiously at Wanda. It was a big enough subject change that her anxiety ebbed a little. Her heart stopped hammering quite so much. "Why?"

"We suspect..." she frowned. "How to put this delicately..."

"I'm on it, sugar!" Cosmo reassured her, and she groaned but made a hand gesture at him as if to say "go on."

"Timmy's new babysitter is a worse jerk than Vicky, and that's saying something," Cosmo said.

"But what does...oh." Chloe shuddered. Unlike Timmy, she'd perceived it instantly. Chills seemed to afflict her, and she rubbed her arms self-consciously.

"Glad someone got it right away," Wanda muttered, shaking her head. Louder, she said, "Timmy believes that Lorenzo's incapable of hurting him, just because he bribed him with a video game. He told us not to worry."

"How do you know Lorenzo's..." she cast about for a way to say it without shivering more violently than she already had. "Inclined that way?"

"You don't wanna know," Cosmo told her and shuddered. "At least it was against my bottom half!"

"But why would you think someone's attacking me too?" Chloe asked.

"Call me suspicious-"

"Okay, you're suspicious."

"Thanks, Cosmo," Wanda said dryly. "I've seen this sort of thing before. It doesn't tend to augur well."

Chloe swallowed past a lump in her throat. "Could I maybe get to Timmy?"

"You're welcome to try," she said and shook her head again. "But don't hold your breath. He'll ignore anyone who isn't telling him what he doesn't want to hear. It's like being Cassandra."

"Who's that?" Cosmo asked and Wanda facepalmed. She didn't clarify, but she didn't need to. Unlike Timmy, Chloe was an adept student and could reference it immediately. That brought back to mind Timmy's predicament and it felt like ice had settled in her stomach. She was cold everywhere.

"What do we do in the meantime?" she asked.

"Hope nothing else happens," Wanda said flatly.

"What was up with that weird necklace Ms. Clawdite had?" Chloe mused and Wanda froze.

"I don't know...but I intend to find out," she said and poofed off. Cosmo disappeared too, with a barked, "Wait for me!"

She felt slightly better knowing Cosmo and Wanda were on the case. Or, at least, Wanda was with Cosmo tailing her. They'd probably end up summoned by Timmy again soon, but whatever they found out in the meanwhile should be helpful. She mulled over Wanda's words regarding Lorenzo and called Timmy. He didn't answer. She wasn't sure whether he knew it was her and was ignoring her or he was ignoring his phone in general.

She didn't like to say this, especially because it reminded her of Tootie, but Timmy could be a royal bastard sometimes. She didn't want to have anything in common with Tootie, including a shared opinion of Timmy's selfishness. What drew Tootie to him anyway? It wasn't like Timmy had ever reciprocated, as far as Chloe could tell. And he wasn't known for being generous or kind-hearted. Nor was he "cool" as Cosmo had described Timmy's imaginary friend Gary.

Aggravated, she decided the best thing to do would be to march over there and give Timmy a piece of her mind. He couldn't ignore her if she was right up in his face about it. And it'd give her something else to focus on besides Ms. Clawdite. Wanda had reacted so strangely about the necklace. Why had she frozen first?

Musing on that, she left her homework undone (for shame) and, after bidding her parents goodbye, headed to the Turners'. Timmy's parents' car was gone and the front door was unlocked. She had to say, that was some pretty shabby security. Nonetheless, she knocked on the door. Politeness went a long way, she found.

"Chloe Carmichael!" Lorenzo exclaimed. "What an unexpected pleasure. Timmy, your friend's here to see you."

"Tell her I'm busy!" Timmy snarled. She could see him through the door opening. He was growling at a videogame that looked ultra violent. People screamed when he sliced through them and blood and gore littered the screen. She winced.

"He's busy. Would you care to wait?" Lorenzo inquired.

"No, tell her to go away!" Timmy huffed, disappointed his babysitter was not following his instructions correctly.

"I can hear you, you know!" Chloe yelled back. "May I come in?"

Timmy seemed to think about this for a few seconds. He hit pause on the videogame and glanced over at her. Then he pulled his phone out of his pocket to spy her missed call, glanced back at the game, and then over at her. He seemed torn between continuing to play and talking to her.

"I can send her away, if you wish," Lorenzo told him.

Chloe twigged at "wish", as she usually did nowadays. People used it so casually, but it had real power with her and Timmy. She scrutinized Lorenzo, whom Cosmo and Wanda had deemed a threat. Something about him made her heart pound and her adrenaline rush. Her mouth dried out and she fought the urge to back away and bolt to her house.

"Nah, send her in," he said, as though Lorenzo were his butler instead of his babysitter. He pushed the controller away for now, mouthed "soon" at it, and she stepped inside. Lorenzo shut the door behind her. This close to him, she felt intimidated and shrank away.

"Can we talk? In private?" she asked. This wouldn't be necessary if he had just answered his phone, but that was Timmy for you. Stubborn as a mule.

"I'll be right back," he promised, but Lorenzo cleared his throat.

"Alone? With a girl?" he inquired, shaking his head. "I'm afraid that's improper. Even at your age, you ought to know better."

"My parents let Chloe come up to my room all the time," Timmy pointed out. "I don't see what the big deal is."

Nor, for that matter, did Chloe. She supposed it might be impropriety if they were older and she and Timmy saw each other romantically, but they were only eleven. Okay, there were eleven year olds with boyfriends and girlfriends, so maybe she did understand a little. But no. Not happening.

"We'll just be talking," Chloe emphasized. Honestly, Timmy was in more danger being alone with Lorenzo, if Cosmo and Wanda's suspicions proved true.

"Leave the door ajar," he said and Timmy shook his head.

"Dude, not happening," he said. "C'mon, Chloe."

Then, without waiting to see whether Lorenzo would object, he started up the stairs. Lorenzo scowled and focused his gaze upon her. It unsettled her and she scurried after Timmy; she was in a hurry to evade Lorenzo's glower. As soon as she entered, she shut the door and locked it. Maybe locking it was excessive, but she didn't want Lorenzo stumbling in here either. Her heart hammered again.

"He's being ridiculous," Timmy said, rolling his eyes. "But he's nothing like what Cosmo and Wanda said. You're not here to tell me he's dangerous, are you? Because I didn't interrupt my game for that."

"I wanted to talk to you about my teacher," she said.

"You mean your super special teacher?" he asked. "What's the big deal?"

"She has a crystal around her neck and when I mentioned it to Wanda, she freaked, went still, and then poofed away."

"Wanda's been freaking out about a lot of things these days," he said dismissively. "What's the big deal about the crystal, anyway? The last time we saw a crystal around someone's neck was that creepy woman Azalea. Maybe it's a new fashion."

They could be the same person. Chloe tried to recall whether they looked alike. Unfortunately, linking the necklace was scant evidence it was the same person. It was, as Timmy had mentioned, more than likely a coincidence. She grimaced. She hated when Timmy was right. However, since she hadn't proven conclusively that she was wrong, she wasn't panicking. Not yet.

"Maybe," she allowed. "Cosmo and Wanda said she had magic about her, though."

"So does Crocker," he scoffed. "And probably half the people we hang out with. My friends have it from being around me. You're overreacting."

Was she? How did she explain that ball in the pit of her stomach? Wanda had told her that they knew nothing about Ms. Clawdite thus far and that she bore further observation. Lorenzo induced a similar reaction, but Cosmo and Wanda said they had proof, just not proof they had shared with her. She gnawed her lip.

"If that's it…" he said, about to dismiss her and return downstairs.

"I don't think I'm overreacting," she protested. "Timmy, something is up. Cosmo and Wanda think this might be a two-pronged attack against us."

Timmy scoffed. "We'll be fine. She's being paranoid."

As Timmy unlocked his door, pushed her out, and she headed out the door, she wondered just whether that was true. She'd never known Wanda to be paranoid, although Timmy had associated with her longer. Did that mean that he had a better measure of her? Or did it just mean that Timmy was ignoring the evidence in front of his face?

-

Timmy felt weird holding a giant scepter and walking around Dimmsdale. It was weirder that no one seemed to notice him, too. The adults never even looked his way. He might have been invisible for all the attention he received. With Cosmo floating over one shoulder and Poof floating over the other as birds, Timmy walked past Vicky's house. Even without her there, an evil aura seemed to permeate the air. Timmy shuddered, moving quickly away.

The scepter wasn't pointing, to his profound relief, toward the school. It didn't seem to have any particular direction, though. It was just tugging insistently forward. He'd wished for a raincoat, but even with it, he was soaked to the bone. The rain had a way of finding spaces, gaps where it could flow freely.

Of course, the scepter had to go somewhere, didn't it? It wasn't anywhere he recognized. Then again, it was hard to tell what was where with the rain practically driving him into the ground. He felt like he was going to drown. It had increased since he'd gotten here and Poof shivered, flying into Timmy's raincoat for escape. It didn't work and now Timmy had a sodden baby bird in his pocket.

Holding the scepter meant that the water rushed down his arms, into his armpits, and from there to his chest. His teeth chattered.

"I wish the rain would stop!" Timmy snarled. For a second, the world held its breath. It almost looked like it might be listening to him. Then a vicious gale started up and rain pelted him. Now it seemed to be doing so with a vengeance, trying to flatten him.

"I'm sorry, did you mean 'I wish I'd piss the rain off'?" Cosmo suggested innocently and Timmy growled.

The gutters filled with water and accumulated around his ankles. It drenched his socks and shoes and if he'd worn glasses like Tootie, they would have been hopelessly fogged. Desperate to escape the rain, to hell with the scepter for now, Timmy turned and bolted in a random direction. He then tripped up stairs and bit his lower lip. That bucktooth was sharp and his lip split, blood mixing with the rainwater.

He pushed himself to his feet with difficulty, because he couldn't determine where the stairs started. Thankfully, there was a railing to his left and he clung to it as he ascended. Poof squeaked-had he accidentally landed on him. He opened his raincoat and looked down at his would-be godbrother. Poof looked unharmed, but then again, he'd seen Cosmo and Wanda endure way worse than that.

With effort, he staggered toward what he assumed were the doors and opened them. Inside, wherever he was, it was fractionally warmer, but more importantly, it wasn't raining. Timmy sagged against the door and then collapsed onto the floor. He left a puddle.

The only way he'd get dry was to strip. He shivered and rubbed his arms. He opened his mouth to inquire whether anyone was there and then shut it. The way things had proceeded before, the adults wouldn't notice regardless. And if they didn't see him, well, there was, as he'd thought, only way to get completely dry. He'd have to go naked.

And the only two people who could see him were both boys, anyway. He was a little grateful Wanda wasn't there, although she'd seen him naked before.

It turned out that he was in a library (someone somewhere was snickering at this, he bet) and as it was the middle of the day, there were only older people here. No one noticed him walk by, dripping, and he looked at the computers. Only boring adult stuff. Oh, wait...that guy was...never mind. Timmy backed away slowly, unnerved.

He didn't know what he intended to do while he dried up. He guessed he could always use the internet, but that wouldn't connect him to Wanda's soul. He squeezed his hair and hat out over a wastebin and looked for something to dry himself off with. In the bathroom, there was only a hand dryer and attempting to dry himself off was pathetic. What was he doing? He had two fairies with him! Sure, the last wish hadn't gone according to plan, but maybe they didn't have the power to affect the weather here. Maybe it was only smaller things.

"I wish I were dry and so were my clothes!" he announced. Cosmo and Poof appeared and held up their wand and rattle respectively. Within seconds, he was finally dry and his clothes and hat reappeared, also dry. He'd never been so relieved to be warm and dry. He vowed he wouldn't take it for granted again.

And then he remembered he had to go out into the cold and rain again and swore.

He glanced at the scepter he still clutched. It wasn't tugging him anywhere at the moment, but he wasn't sure whether that meant he'd run into a dead spot, this was the spot it'd been hastening him toward, or it was fed up with him taking a detour. Damn, he wished it would stop raining. But he wouldn't make the mistake of saying that aloud again.

"I wish I knew where the stupid scepter was taking me," he grumbled. Cosmo conjured a map and he stared at it. It was floating in front of him and outlined Dimmsdale's landmarks. There were no signs that said, "Wanda's soul sliver here." The only thing he could think of was…

"What if it's not _on_ Earth?" he said. "What if the reason the scepter isn't reacting that much is because it's in Fairy World?"

He glanced at the scepter as though it might tell him definitively. Cosmo and Poof shrugged-their guess was as good as Timmy's. They held up their magical devices and all three vanished in a cloud of fairy dust to reappear in Fairy World.

Unlike Earth, Fairy World was not raining, which was weird considering it was up in the clouds. But Timmy had never found meteorological phenomena particularly interesting, so he shrugged and went on his way. The sky was, however, overcast, and the rainbows that proliferated the area had dulled as though they'd been stained black. Timmy had never been in Fairy World with it looking quite this dreary. The sight of it gave him the creeps and Poof whimpered, curling up closer to his would-be godbrother.

Fairies didn't scurry about as the adult humans had below. Instead, they appeared to be hiding. Furtive glances from behind closed windows, propped open for a second, irritated Timmy. What was the big idea? Was everyone really that freaked out? What the heck had happened?

"Hello?" he called. "Is anyone home?"

The scepter startled him by tugging at him with such force that he had to give it its head. Otherwise, it would have dragged him through the dirt and onto the pavement facefirst. As it was, the scepter was so insistent that it nearly wrenched his arm from its socket.

"This is more like it," he said, even though the scepter's jostling was making his body ache.

Unfortunately, Timmy didn't know Fairy World like he knew Earth and had no idea whatsoever where the wand was leading him. Cosmo kept up a running commentary, for which Timmy was alternatively thankful and vexed by. Some of it was utter nonsense, while occasional useful tidbits slipped in.

"Looks like we're headed for Big Daddy's place," Cosmo said, interrupting himself.

Timmy almost dropped the scepter. Recalling his last altercation with Big Daddy, he was in no hurry for another one.

"Isn't there somewhere else you can take us?" he demanded of the scepter.

The scepter's tugging ceased for a minute, as though it were pondering its response. Then it responded with a fierce jerk, coming perilously close to dislocating Timmy's arm. He whimpered in pain and held on; it was impossible to release it now as his hands felt like they were glued to the rod. Poof whimpered in sympathy.

"I get it, I get it," he grumbled. "The answer is 'no'. Jeez."

Satisfied now, the scepter relented a little, which was good because Timmy was on the cusp of injuring something. Nonetheless, it led the trio straight to Big Daddy's warehouse and with every step, Timmy's dread increased. Cold sweat broke out along his body. He did not want to be slapped around again.

Yet when they finally arrived at the door, it wasn't Big Daddy who answered. Pink eyes peered out, yes, but they were framed in a much gentler face. Timmy's grip relaxed on the scepter, which lowered to his side. The tugging had finally ceased.

The eyes were the same as Wanda's, but the blonde hair was something of a shock. She looked familiar and it took Timmy a moment to place her. Perhaps he'd been so desperate to see something of Wanda again that he'd mistaken her sister for her. That was bound to be something that didn't occur very often.

"I know you," Blonda said. "You're Wanda's godson. You're the one who screwed everything up in this world!"

Then she slammed the door in his face. Timmy blinked; the door had closed an inch from his nose. He was left staring at the wood and he turned around to face Cosmo and Poof.

"What the heck was that about?" Timmy demanded.

"Ooh, seems like you might've made one wish too many," Cosmo said.

Timmy growled, undeterred. He pounded on the door and Blonda answered again, though her eyes narrowed.

"I told you to get lost," she snarled. "What part of that didn't you get?"

"I'm not that Timmy Turner," he insisted. She raised her eyebrows.

"Oh? There are others?" she asked derisively. "Are they all as bad as you?"

Timmy wedged his foot in the door, so that if she wanted to close it on him, she'd have no luck. It was weird that fairies even had doors, considering they could just poof in and out of places. In some cases, the doors were just ornamental. They were the outlines without actually opening.

"There's a whole multiverse full of 'em," Cosmo told Blonda and she groaned.

"What do you want?" she asked, sighing. "The longer I talk to you, the more beauty rest I lose."

"You're already beautiful," Timmy told her and she beamed at him. Warmth suffused him and he had to remind himself that this was his godmother's sister, which made her his god-aunt. They were related in a matter of speaking. How was she identical yet somehow hotter?

Then her smile faded. "Stop trying to butter me up, kid. I'm the donna now and I don't appreciate flattery."

"Kinda seems like you do," he pointed out.

Blonda ignored that and glowered at him until Timmy grew uncomfortable. Shifting from one foot to another, he said, "Can you let us in? This is kinda awkward standing here."

"Oh, fine," she huffed. "Not like you can ruin this world further. Come on in, all three of you."

Huffing, she flung the door open and, as soon as they had entered, the door became an outline on the wall. Timmy knew he could wish himself out of the house, but the sight still turned his stomach. Blonda was an unknown quantity. He knew she was vain and selfish, but he didn't know how power had changed her. If Wanda had been don, maybe he could've manipulated her. Maybe. If she hadn't seen through him the way that other Wanda had in the last universe.

Blonda conjured up tea and cookies for them and then halted, staring at Poof. "There's a fairy child here. Jorgen outlawed them."

"He's not mine," Timmy said.

"Of course not," Blonda sneered. "No human male can bear our offspring."

"That's not what I meant," he grumbled. "Jeez. You're a little prickly, aren't you?"

Blonda again said nothing. Instead, she cast her gaze from Poof onto the scepter Timmy held. Sighing, she took it from him and turned it over in her hands. Pink fairy dust fell from it and Blonda sighed again.

"What?" he demanded.

"My sister," she said, shaking her head. "This is definitely her handiwork."

"Well, duh, why else did you think we'd be here?" he asked. "A courtesy call?"

"Of course not," she said briskly. "You have no courtesy."

Even though Timmy was often rude and crass, that still stung. He glowered at her. "Are you gonna help us or not?"

"You never told me exactly why you're here," she responded. "Although I can take a guess that it has something to do with my sister and her idiot husband."

Her brow furrowed and then smoothed because frowning caused wrinkle lines and that'd ruin her beauty. "But Cosmo is here…"

"Not the same Cosmo," Timmy told her. "Look, it'd take too long to explain this."

"Too bad," Blonda said and gestured for Timmy, Cosmo, and Poof to sit down. "We're having tea and cookies and we're talking about why you're here. Because otherwise, the penalty for bringing a human into Fairy World is imprisonment in Abracatraz."

"I'll tell you why I'm here," he said meekly. He couldn't help but wonder whether his counterpart and Chloe were imprisoned there. If so, were all the children there? How could Fairy World just lock them up? Or were they dead? What the heck had happened here? Blonda hadn't disliked him before-she'd just not thought much of him. She tended to think too highly of herself to worry what the hoi polloi thought.

Timmy accepted the teacup she offered, although he wasn't much of a tea drinker. Or a coffee drinker. However, under penalty of prison, he'd cooperate with whatever she wanted. His heart pounded. Of his fairies, Cosmo looked off-kilter and Poof worried, looking so much like his mother that Timmy had to strangle a laugh.

"Spill," she instructed after she'd served herself. She wasn't helping herself to the cookies, as they were too "fattening".

"So, uh, it all started when Cosmo and Wanda started fighting, like, all the time," he began. He was aware of his culpability and how Blonda might take his inaction amiss. Surely Blonda was nothing like her father. She couldn't possibly be anywhere near as violent or cruel.

"I always said she shouldn't have married him," Blonda remarked derisively. As she spoke, she looked Cosmo in the eyes and sniffed. "She would've been far better off with Juandissimo."

Timmy had the impression she had waited to say this and had wanted to ensure it was straight to Cosmo's face. Cosmo stiffened but didn't respond. This left Timmy wondering whether anyone in Wanda's family liked Cosmo. She had eloped with him to evade Cosmo's mother, but her family knew about and apparently disliked him. At least, everyone Timmy had met. He couldn't speak for her mother; Wanda never spoke about her either. He wasn't sure whether she was still alive.

"Anyway," he continued, feeling awkward and acutely aware of Blonda's attention upon him, "one day Wanda left him. She told me she'd be back soon, but didn't tell me when."

He was stalling, drawing out the moment before he had to tell Blonda that part of the reason for their problem was because he hadn't started looking for her when he should have.

"Ha," she sniffed. "So she finally did it. She finally ditched that loser."

"Hey!" Cosmo objected, but had no defense. After all, it was his fault Wanda had abandoned them. And it was Timmy's fault that he'd not gone after her in time. He should have prevented this from happening. Children often blame themselves for when their parents split, but Timmy really could have done something here. Not to prevent Wanda from leaving, mind you, but to prevent her from being gone for so long.

Maybe this occurred to him now because of Blonda's scrutiny. Or perhaps he just felt guilty.

"And, then, uh, she didn't. Come back, that is."

Silence fell, heavy and oppressive. Blonda eyed Cosmo and Timmy like they were roaches in her bathroom and she'd just disrobed to discover them. Her lower lip curled in disdain and her eyes flashed.

"So you went looking for her?" she said, knowing the answer was 'no' but having to ask anyway. Timmy shivered. Blonda angry reminded him of Wanda upset. It was unpleasant to be the focus of that glare.

"We kinda just thought she'd come back on her own," he mumbled.

"How long was she gone?" Blonda asked in a dangerous voice, one that held the promise of future problems. Timmy avoided her gaze.

"Uh, about two months," he admitted.

"And then you started looking for her. _Right_?" she pressed, eyes flashing. Yeah, the family resemblance was uncanny.

"No, then...then the timeline collapsed."

For a minute, Blonda didn't speak. She just gawked. It seemed Timmy had rendered her dumbstruck. Uneasy, he shifted his gaze to Cosmo and Poof. Poof was at a loss and Cosmo was staring at the floor.

"Was something preventing you from locating her?" Blonda asked in a would-be casual voice, but the strain was evident.

"My parents were fighting and I had Vicky around a lot…" Timmy said, knowing they were just excuses. "And Cosmo didn't want to do anything, so we didn't…"

"You're telling me you let my sister's absence go unremarked upon for two months. Is that right?" Menace threaded her words and both Cosmo and Timmy shrank back. Blonda snarled, grabbing Timmy by the collar. Yes, family resemblance, family resemblance. He kept his cool, for the time being, although his heart pounded.

"And then what happened?" Blonda hissed.

"After the timeline collapsed?" Timmy said weakly.

"Yes. If you cared so little about my sister's well-being, why are you here?" she snapped.

"Because someone stole her soul away and there's a sliver of it somewhere here?" he responded. He trembled and cursed inwardly.

"You came here to restore your timeline, didn't you?" she snarled. When Timmy didn't immediately answer, she shook him so hard his teeth rattled. "Didn't you?"

"I...I also came to get Wanda back," he stammered. "I swear. I'm sorry I didn't go looking for her, I really am, and I know that all I'm giving you are excuses. I know her family's pissed at me and Cosmo. But I just wanna find her, put everything back together, and go _home_."

"Prove it," she hissed. "Because all I'm hearing is that you want normalcy more than you want your godmother."

How was he supposed to prove it? He glanced at Cosmo, but Cosmo was lost. Then again, not an unfamiliar experience for his godfather. Since he was on the defensive, it was time to switch tactics. This was not going according to what little plan he'd constructed.

"What about your Wanda, huh?" he countered. "What happened to her?"

"Oh, that," Blonda said and smiled coldly. It didn't reach her eyes, which burned in his direction. "You know before when I said I was the donna? I lied. I'm not. That's Wanda. They call her Big Wanda nowadays. And she has the soul sliver."

"Then you do know what I'm talking about!" he said, relieved. "So you could just bring us to her and we'll get it and we'll be on our way."

"Nobody sees Big Wanda," Blonda said, scowling. "Especially not you, when you haven't proven to me that you even care about her."

"How am I supposed to prove it?" he shot back.

"I'll do it!" Cosmo interrupted. Considering his normal behavior, it was actually a minor miracle he'd abstained from speaking until now. "Whatever it is, I'll do it!"

Blonda stroked her chin and contemplated them. "So far you've failed my test, but there is hope. You-" she pointed at Cosmo-"have to prove you still love her by seeing if you can earn her forgiveness. She's harder than you think. And you-" she pointed at Timmy-"have to go three hours without a selfish wish. Then I'll let you see Wanda and she'll give you the soul sliver."

"What happened to her Cosmo?" Timmy blurted.

"Big Daddy killed him," Blonda said and the words hung there like poison. Timmy froze, chilled all over. "And the magical backlash of the Bond severing and Cosmo's magic dispersing killed him and drove Wanda insane. Oh, I didn't mention that? Good luck, Cosmo."

She waved her wand and Cosmo vanished. "You'll need it."

"That's not fair!" Timmy protested. Blonda's lips twisted.

"Big Daddy wouldn't have known about it if you hadn't been sassing Wanda," Blonda retorted. "So you drove her insane, quite literally. Three hours, no wishes about yourself. Clock is ticking, Timmy Turner. I'd wish you luck, but...you don't deserve it."

Then she vanished too, leaving Timmy with Poof. Timmy was cold, inside and out, and he sipped at his now lukewarm tea. If he wished it was hot, that'd count against him. So he put it on the table and glanced around him. Wanda as the mafia don made more sense, but it also struck fear in him. Wanda was non-violent normally. What was the Bond? And how did breaking it cause her to lose her sanity?

More importantly, how the heck was he supposed to entertain himself for three hours without making any wishes? He knew he was selfish and that selfishness had in part led to this situation. And he also knew he hadn't had any time alone since the timeline collapsed. Was he to be left alone with his thoughts? Because he wasn't sure he'd like to know where that would take him.


	8. Half of You

Chapter Eight: Half of You

Chloe fell asleep and immediately descended into a world of nightmares. First, she dreamt her parents had abandoned her because they had grown tired of her imperfections; then she dreamt that Timmy had taken Cosmo and Wanda and wouldn't let her have them, and then...the third dream...it made her teeth chatter.

 _She found herself in a small bedroom with the only furniture a four poster bed and a mirror. Confused, Chloe whirled around. She felt like she was intruding on someone and cleared her throat._

 _"Hello?" she called. "Hello? I'm sorry-I didn't mean to-I'll just be going now."_

 _She turned toward where the door ought to be, but there was nothing, just solid wall. Confused, she took several steps forward toward the bed and the curtains parted. A woman, with features indistinct, watched her hungrily. Though Chloe could not have said what color her eyes and hair were, the avarice and lust naked on her face caused her to stumble back against the wall._

 _Chloe's gaze dipped and the woman smiled. She was clad only in a negligee, and her full breasts strained against the fabric. The nightgown ended mid-thigh and revealed golden hair. Ashamed to be caught staring, unable to draw her gaze away, Chloe attempted to clench her eyes shut instead. This was a dream. This was only a dream. She had power over her thoughts, and she intended to wake now._

 _"Oh, dearie," the woman in the bed mocked. She had a soft, lilting voice that nonetheless set Chloe's teeth on edge. "You really think you have control over this? Oh, no. This is my dream now."_

 _"I must've come in here by mistake…" Chloe squeaked._

 _"You didn't come in here at all!" the woman chortled, and the peals of laughter went right through her. "I brought you here. And no one else can come, especially not your precious fairy godparents."_

 _It hadn't occurred to her to summon them. Her stomach twisted, and she yelped when a pale white arm shot out from the bed and tugged on beside her. Once there, the bed shrank, becoming only large enough for two people. Chloe's heart pounded, and she squirmed against the grip, but it was like iron._

 _"You don't want to do this," she said, and her lips trembled. "You're not that kind of person."_

 _"How do you know what kind of a person I am?" the woman countered and again laughed. It went right through her._

 _"I...I guess I don't," she admitted. "But I can tell that you don't want to do this. You'd never want to hurt someone. Even if you did, you know it's wrong and-"_

 _"You're so self-righteous," the woman mocked. "That'll be the first thing to go."_

 _Chloe blinked, trying to digest this, and the woman moved over her, to pin her to the bed. She opened her mouth, perhaps to retort, maybe to plead her case, and the woman pressed her lips against hers. Chloe squeaked, squirming again, but the woman's weight was far too much for her to dislodge. She knew rationally she might've had a chance of escaping in real life, but the odds were stacked against her in this woman's dream. And as soon as she opened her mouth, the woman's tongue darted in to lick hers._

 _Oh god. She was going to wake up soon. She was definitely going to wake up soon. And in the event she didn't, she started cataloging her homework and arranging it by subject and level of difficulty. But her thoughts kept straying, as though someone was guiding them away._

 _"That won't work either," the woman said, smirking. "I want my Chloe to be entirely focused on the task at hand."_

 _With that, the woman moved off her and then straddled her. She stripped off her negligee and bared herself. Chloe's eyes were stuck open, and she whimpered, reminded of Wanda's words about Timmy's babysitter._

 _"You're working with him, aren't you?" she asked. Her mind spun furiously, trying to divert the woman before this took a dangerous course. "You and Timmy's babysitter."_

 _"I don't want to talk about him now," the woman scoffed. "Men are such a turn-off."_

 _Then Chloe would speak exclusively about men. Her heart pounded. This was the only way to avert disaster. "You didn't say no."_

 _"I love you, darling, but you're simply too talkative tonight," the woman told her. Chloe's lips sealed and, try as she might, she could not wrench them open. Conversely, she could not shut her eyes. Her hands moved of someone else's accord and stroked her nipples. Chloe's breathing, about the only thing she had power over, escalated, coming precariously close to hyperventilating._

 _The woman's hands moved too, hiking up Chloe's shirt and sliding down her pants to toy with her panty waistband. Chloe longed to kick her, even if it wouldn't produce the same effect, but her body was locked into whatever position this woman wanted. In her mind, her only sanctum, she started whispering Cosmo and Wanda's names. It was ineffective. If they could hear her, they couldn't appear and if they couldn't, then she was wasting her time._

 _The woman's hands rubbed Chloe's nipples and the little nubs that would one day become breasts. Chloe whimpered, the sound trapped behind her locked mouth. The woman sat back for a minute and admired her. Cold sweat broke out along Chloe's body._

 _"It'll be so satisfying to have you in the flesh," she purred. "I can't wait for our playtime together. Of course, to tell you who I am now would spoil the game. And I wouldn't want your precious godparents to come after me."_

 _Chloe wanted to ask how she knew about them, what she knew, and who this woman was. None of those questions could make it past her lips. The woman leaned forward again and then slid up, shifting so that she was propping herself up on her hands._

 _"Now, I assume you don't know the first thing about pleasing a woman," she said._

 _Someone was shaking her, quite hard in fact, but Chloe couldn't see who it was. She reached mentally for them since she couldn't exert herself physically. Her lips trembled, and tears brimmed in her eyes. They spilled down her cheeks._

 _"Oh, honestly!" the woman snapped, and her eyes flashed. "Just like them to ruin my fun."_

 _Chloe's lips twitched, and she whispered, "Cosmo and Wanda…"_

 _"He's right," she said, shaking her head. "Cosmo and Wanda are such a killjoy. They were in my way before and now they're here again to keep me from having a good time."_

 _In her head, she screamed for them. She cried for her parents too, but then remembered they weren't at home. They were off in the rainforest somewhere rescuing animals. Her heart felt heavy._

 _She was shaken so strongly that her teeth chattered. She heard Wanda whisper, "Wake up, sweetie. Wake up."_

 _Damn it, she was_ trying! _A dry sob escaped her, and she clung to Wanda's voice as she had never held onto anything in her life. She was chanting Cosmo and Wanda's names in her mind now. Bright light seared her vision and the woman snarled._

 _"I'll get them," she vowed. "I'll get them both. Fucking frach."_

 _In the smallest voice possible, yet the loudest she could muster, she screamed for her godparents. Again the bright light flashed, and this time, she relaxed. Warm arms held her, and the room around her disappeared…_

"Chloe!" Wanda exclaimed. "Chloe, hun, are you okay?"

The dream was still vivid in her mind. She could feel the woman's skin beneath her palms, feel the woman touching her chest, and the sensation of being horribly violated. She pushed Wanda away, not because she didn't want the contact, but so she could throw up over the side of her bed. Cosmo whisked it away without a word.

"I was afraid it was something like that…" Wanda murmured and provided water for Chloe to rinse out her mouth and a wet rag to wipe away her cold sweat. Chloe burst into tears and latched onto them. They had broken her out of that hellscape. They had saved her. She found she could barely breathe because she was sobbing so hard.

"What did you see?" Cosmo whispered and stroked her hair as Wanda held her tightly.

In between gasps and sobs, Chloe choked out the nightmare. When she was done, her fairies had gone still, and she could feel Wanda shaking. She stared at her godmother in consternation.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I know who did this," Wanda growled. "And when I get my hands on her, oh, is she going to be sorry she ever _dreamed_ of touching my goddaughter."

It occurred to Chloe belatedly that Wanda's father was Big Daddy, a mafioso in Fairy World. Wanda hadn't shown much inclination for violence, but having grown up as part of a mob family, she might still have those tendencies, albeit buried. Cosmo was shaking too, she realized, and she glanced at her godfather next.

"This isn't the first time she's done this," Cosmo growled.

Chloe did a double take. It was enough to temporarily stem her tears. She'd seldom if ever seen Cosmo angry, genuinely angry. Sometimes it was irrational mock anger, like yelling at himself in the mirror. But this was different. For one thing, it was anger on her behalf. For another, her godparents quivered in outrage.

"It'll be last if I have anything to say about it," Wanda snarled. "Jorgen was too lenient on her the first time. I don't know how she got out, but she's going back. No matter what."

"Jorgen? Lenient?" Chloe choked out. Those words didn't belong in the same sentence together. It was like saying, "Cosmo has a brain." She loved her godfather, and she still knew he was as dull as bricks.

"In this case, yes," she said. "Azalea used to be his partner. When she went...rogue...Jorgen let his feelings for her get in the way of punishing her. He locked her up in Abracatraz, instead of something more secure."

"Isn't Abracatraz your maximum security prison?" she asked, confused. She wrinkled her nose.

"There are other, more secure places in Fairy World," she answered. "That's just the most well known."

Chloe was chilled, inside and out. Wanda's talk of retribution didn't comfort her; it only frightened her, to think that someone she was growing to love could be so brutal. She knew Cosmo and Wanda were upset because of her and she felt like shrinking into a ball.

"Do you want us to stay with you, hun?" Wanda asked, changing the subject. Chloe had unconsciously curled up tighter in her arms.

"Can you keep her from coming back?" she whispered.

"We'll do our best," she promised, and her eyes flashed. She and Cosmo tucked Chloe back into bed and waved their wands so Chloe could fall into a dreamless sleep, unplagued by Azalea or anyone else. The last thing she noticed was that rather than becoming birds in her room like they usually did, Cosmo and Wanda had transformed into cats that snuggled up close to her.

Despite Cosmo and Wanda's magic, Chloe awoke tired and unwilling to attend school. The latter was a first for her, and she scrutinized it. She dreaded seeing that new teacher again, even if she couldn't put a finger on why she bothered her so much. Surely the arrival of an evil fairy and her partner in crime had nothing to do with Chloe's new teacher. That would be jumping to conclusions, wouldn't it?

"How are you feeling, sweetie?" Wanda asked.

"Ready to go to school?" Cosmo asked and then wrinkled his nose. "Ew, school."

"Actually…" she said and glanced down at herself. Her stomach twisted, and she felt guilty for what she was about to say, but not guilty enough to stop herself. "I wish I were sick. Not sick enough that I'm really out of it, but sick enough to stay out of school."

Cosmo and Wanda exchanged glances. They waved their wands and Chloe touched her throat. It ached, and she coughed. Was this a good idea after all? She could always un-wish the wish. But she didn't want to attend school today…

"Usually it's Timmy who wants to stay out of school…" Wanda commented.

"Thanks, guys," Chloe rasped, wincing at her voice. Cosmo held up his wand and produced hot tea for her to drink to soothe her throat. She whispered "thanks" again and waited until the tea was cool enough to drink.

"Wow, are you sure you're feeling all right?" Cosmo asked and put a hand on her forehead.

"We just made her sick," Wanda said, nonplussed.

"Before that," he replied.

Wanda frowned. Her head jerked, and Chloe realized Timmy must be calling for them. Her spirits sank. After what had happened last night, she didn't want to be alone. She pleaded silently with them to stay. Or, at least, for one of them to stay. She knew she was being selfish, but if she were alone with her thoughts, she'd think about that woman touching her again and the way her body had felt pressed up against Chloe's…

Chloe swallowed the bile that burned her throat. Oh, god, she did not want to relive that. She hugged herself. Cosmo and Wanda were having a discussion about who should tend to Timmy; the consensus was that if Cosmo were left alone with Timmy, bad things could happen. Chloe cleared her throat, winced, and did it again.

"I don't care which one of you stays," she admitted. "I just don't want to be alone right now."

This time, a silent conversation ensued and the telepathic buzz filled the air. Wordlessly, Wanda kissed Chloe on the cheek and disappeared to tend to Timmy. This left Cosmo with Chloe, and she offered him a weak smile.

"So, since you're sick, wanna do something fun?" he asked. "Like video games? Or going on the computer?"

"I'll read," she announced and patted the bed beside her. Cosmo drifted down and snuggled up to her as a cat. She scooped him up and nuzzled him. Then, placing him back down, she stroked his fur until he started purring.

"Oh, wait, I forgot something," she said. Every time she spoke, it hurt. "I wish I were called out of school today."

Cosmo held up his wand so that she wouldn't appear on the attendance records and Chloe relaxed, grabbing the book she kept by the side of her bed. Smiling weakly, she lost herself in a fictional world. Timmy would probably demand to know why she'd skipped school and she'd have to have a decent excuse for it, but it couldn't be the truth. She just...she didn't want anyone else to know. Just thinking about it made her feel dirty.

To calm herself, she stroked Cosmo's hair again. Everything would be okay. It'd all resolve itself. Cosmo and Wanda were on the job. Well, all right, mostly Wanda. In fact, almost entirely Wanda. But still. Her godparents loved and cared for her and would protect her.

She hoped.

How to kill time when he had no idea what to do...Timmy glanced at Poof and waited to see whether his godbrother had any suggestions. Poof shrugged and then produced a TV. It was tuned to a little kids' show, however, and Timmy fought a scream. Of course, Poof would like something with bright lights and colors. And of course, it'd be the stupidest, most annoying thing in the world. And it looked like Timmy was gonna be stuck watching it for three hours…

"I wish we-" he caught himself just in time. Poof looked at him questioningly, and Timmy grimaced. "If I don't wish it, but I suggest it, can you make it happen without upsetting Blonda?'

"Poof poof?"

Really? That wish wasn't working either? Timmy dragged a hand down his face. Did it count as a selfish wish, then? What was he supposed to do, watch TV until his brain leaked out of his ears? What he really wanted to do was find out where his counterpart and Chloe had gone, because he was willing to bet that was far more interesting and useful. He couldn't wish for it directly, though, or it'd violate Blonda's restrictions.

How was she going to know? And what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her, but…

Timmy turned, sensing pink eyes upon him. He didn't know whose they were, though. They could belong to one of three fairies, all of whom might be hostile. The moment he made eye contact, they vanished, and he growled. Really? This was ridiculous.

He had an idea. Walking around wasn't against her rules, was it? And if he just happened to walk past where his counterpart and Chloe were, then it couldn't possibly count against him. He just had to figure out where they were. And to do that, he had to contrive a way to locate them without sounding selfish.

There wouldn't be a computer in this place. What use did fairies have for technology when they could conjure whatever they wanted? He glanced at Poof.

"Hey, Poof, wanna do something fun?" he asked. Poof's eyes had glazed over, and he was staring, entranced, at the TV. Timmy snapped his fingers and Poof blinked before he returned to contemplating the TV screen.

"Wanna go on a scavenger hunt?" he continued, hoping he'd be able to entice him. "We might find something fun! And we might be able to find your mother."

Okay, that last one was patently untrue, but he had to work with what he had, which was very little. "Or your father. C'mon, Poof. You wanna help me find out where the other Timmy and that girl went? You know it'd be way more entertaining than this show. You know you wanna help your big brother out, right?"

He was aware that he was manipulating a baby, but he'd feel bad about it later. ( _"_ _I'll be angry about that later, Vortex!"_ ) Besides, how hard could it be? Poof was Cosmo's son, after all.

Poof gave him a look that clearly said, "You'll have to try harder than that."

Oh, right. He smiled sheepishly. Poof was also Wanda's son. And it looked like he might take after his mother in the brains' department, not his father. Well, it was worth a shot. And he wasn't going to give up because Poof was his only option.

"Besides, aren't you the slightest bit curious?" he asked. "I mean, the world collapsed thanks to me, and you don't even know what I did. Me and this other girl. Wouldn't you like to meet them? Maybe ask them a few questions? Find out why your mom's head of the mafia here?"

Poof frowned, not like he disagreed, but like he was seriously considering it. He'd better stoke the curiosity flames, then, and lure him in. His heart pounded. This might actually work. He was cautiously optimistic.

"C'mon, Poof," he entreated. "It'd make me happy, and I wouldn't have to wish for it. You'd do it because you wanna know too, right?"

Poof's frown deepened, but he waved his rattle anyway, and they disappeared in a cloud of fairy dust. When they reappeared, they were in an unknown place. It reminded him of Anti-Fairy World, and he tasted something metallic in the back of his mouth. Poof wilted, shifting into a mouse and then scurrying into his pocket. Timmy knew the feeling. The atmosphere was so oppressive he wished he could hide too.

Whereas on Earth it had been dull, drab, and depressing, here the area was actively hostile, and searchlights pierced the clouds. Dogs growled from behind a barbed wire fence, and Timmy had a few seconds to take in the surroundings before he found himself on the business end of a wand. Not just any wand, no. Jorgen Von Strangle, toughest fairy in the universe and officially "done with your crap, Timmy Turner" Jorgen, had his wand tip close to Timmy's throat.

"I know who you are," Jorgen snapped. "You should not have come here."

Jorgen's eyes narrowed. While he didn't move his wand, he radiated less malice than before. "You are not the same Timmy Turner who destroyed this timeline."

"Well, duh," he said, though his voice was a little shaky. "Glad we've got that out of the way. Can you tell me what _did_ happen to that Timmy? And, uh, the girl too? What's her name?"

"Chloe Carmichael," Jorgen snarled.

"Yeah, that's the one."

"You are not here to investigate. You are here to retrieve part of your godmother's soul and be gone," he intoned.

"I have three hours to kill," he said and then realized the wrongness of that phrase. "I mean, I have three hours. Why don't you tell me anyway?"

Jorgen lifted the wand away from his throat, and he breathed easier. Where the wand had touched his skin, it burned, which was something he'd never experienced before and never hoped to do so again. He resisted the urge to rub it because that would show weakness. And his heart was already pounding enough as it was.

"You and Chloe made a terrible wish. There were consequences that affected everyone. The timeline is now doomed. The end."

"That's not very specific," he protested.

"Very well," he said, sighing. "In the beginning, it seemed like a good idea, for you two to wish for everyone to reconcile their differences. Unfortunately, the wish was too vague and affected all known entities on Earth and in Fairy World. Also, sadly, the wording you used allowed for loopholes-for example, Big Daddy's arch rival took it upon himself to 'reconcile' with him by murdering him. That set up a chain of events which led to Wanda taking over the family business, Cosmo's insanity, and your subsequent capture and imprisonment."

"Is that what happened to all of the children? And the teenagers? They're here?" he asked. "Wait, what do you mean, Cosmo's insane? And what does that have to do with Wanda taking over as Don?"

"One question at a time, tiny Timmy Turner," he growled. "Some of the children ended up in Fairy World. We are waiting for a way to remedy the situation before we can repair the timeline or scratch it. Other children, who were perceived by their parents as the problem, were eliminated."

Timmy's stomach clenched. "When you say 'eliminated'..."

"They have ceased to exist."

"I did that?" he said faintly. "Me and this girl Chloe?"

"You had good intentions," Jorgen said. "I believe. The ones we were able to rescue, as I said, are located here under lock and key. Cosmo's insanity is what drove Wanda to become the mafia don. She is also insane."

"Well, that's great," he muttered. "She's got part of my Wanda's soul."

"Your wish, for Mama Cosma, meant that Cosmo and Wanda would no longer be Bonded," he said. "To sever a magical Bond like that is to render both parties insane. It usually results in the death of one or both sides. In this case, Cosmo has been locked up, and his magic drained so he poses no threat. Wanda, on the other hand, no longer uses her magic."

"I don't understand. If the mafia's such a big problem, couldn't you shut it down? You're the ruler of Fairy World."

"The Fairy Council stands above me," he reminded him. "And they have deemed that the mafia is necessary to Fairy World's functioning. It remains."

"Could I see my counterpart? Talk to him?" Before he finished the sentence, the enormous fairy was already shaking his head.

"He is to be kept isolated, along with Chloe Carmichael. The Fairy Council has not yet decreed their fate."

"But it's not really their fault," he protested. "I mean, how could they know this would happen?"

"Blame no longer matters. What has happened has happened. We must deal with the consequences. Now, I believe I have answered your questions. Goodbye, Turner."

Fairy dust erupted around them, and Timmy coughed as he accidentally inhaled some. Rather than appear back at Blonda's house, like Timmy had expected, they appeared in front of Mama Cosma's door. He looked quizzically at Poof, who knocked on the door and had a determined look on his face. His eyes were narrowed in concentration.

"I'll be right there!" Mama Cosma announced.

"What are you doing?" he asked Poof.

"Need to talk to Dada," he said, and the human sighed, relieved. He could understand him again. Then the wish was in effect once more. However, it couldn't have been for his benefit. When Mama Cosma appeared at the door, Timmy could see, through the door's opening, a dull green haired fairy moving listlessly about the room.

"Cosmo!" he called. Cosmo lifted his head, lowered it again, and continued muttering to himself.

"I'm afraid I can't let you in," Mama Cosma said. "Jorgen's orders. Now, what does my grandson want?"

She beamed at Poof, as though the fact that she'd driven her son and her daughter-in-law insane meant nothing for her grandson. Timmy facepalmed. Was she really that insensitive? Or did she just not care? And how was his Cosmo getting on with that Wanda if she was insane?

Poof had said something, but Timmy missed it. Whatever it was, Mama Cosma was now on the defensive. Back and forth they volleyed-it seemed Poof had taken exception to Mama Cosma driving his parents nuts. Well, duh, who wouldn't have seen that coming?

An idea struck Timmy and gave him a headache. If he rectified the mistakes that his counterpart had made, would that mean Wanda would give him and Cosmo the soul sliver? That meant he had to retrieve Cosmo from this world...and, without giving Mama Cosma time to object, he raced inside the house. Or, rather, he meant to, but a barrier sent him flying backward and into the house across the street.

What the hell? That wasn't fair. Mama Cosma spared a glance for him before arguing more with her grandson. It was surprising how eloquent Poof was for a baby. Timmy was getting persuaded, and he wasn't even the target. Finally, Mama Cosma raised her wand and the barrier, which had shimmered, dissipated.

"If it will repair the timeline…" she said and frowned, chewing on her bottom lip. "I thought my Cosmo-lolo would be better off at home than with that horrible woman…"

"And then you broke the timeline," Timmy said, having no patience. It was nice to be able to blame someone else for a catastrophic failure for a change.

"I don't see that this is going to accomplish anything, though," Mama Cosma said, but handed Cosmo to them anyway. Cosmo's gaze was as dull as his hair and seemed to see right through Timmy. It reminded him uncomfortably of his Wanda, soulless and waiting for them, and he winced. Poof whimpered, waved his wand, and they reappeared in Blonda's house.

"Where did you go?" Blonda demanded. "And why have...you better not have wished for anything."

"Nope," he said, smirking. "Not at all. By the way, Poof and I have a way to fix the timeline. But we have to get Cosmo and Wanda back together first."

Blonda sighed. "At this point, I'll try anything, no matter how much I hate him. But how do you intend to do that when Cosmo's mind is apparently broken?"

"We'll think of something," he reassured her, although he hadn't the faintest clue what he was doing. In other words, everything was going pretty much as it usually did.

In the end, they brought this universe's Cosmo in with his and sat there with two Cosmos, Wanda, Timmy, and Poof. As soon as they entered, Wanda sealed the door. There was ice in her gaze, which disturbed Timmy more than the blood on her collar. The Wanda he knew burned hot in her rage, not cold. Cold anger was scarier by far.

The soul sliver hung around Wanda's neck, and it was so close, Timmy yearned to just grab it.

"Timmy?" Wanda said, frowning. "I thought you weren't allowed out of solitary."

"Different Timmy," he said and then pointed to his Cosmo, who was staring at Wanda with concern. "We're from another universe and we really, really need that crystal you've got around your neck. Pretty please."

"Yeah, the one that's probably not helping your sanity," Cosmo added, and Timmy glanced back at him. How did he know that?

Wanda's hand tightened over the crystal, and she closed her eyes.

"What will you give me in return?"

"Uh, our undying gratitude?" Timmy suggested.

"No deal, hun."

"We'll give you back your Cosmo," he offered, and Wanda's gaze flicked to him. For a split second, he saw the anguish in her expression, the same anguish Cosmo had exhibited when he'd discovered Wanda soulless. She closed her eyes, steadied her breathing, and responded.

"What use do I have for him?" she scoffed.

"He's your husband," Timmy pointed out, nonplussed.

"Was," she corrected.

"What the heck? Why is every version of us having problems?" Cosmo objected.

"Mama Cosma," Wanda said darkly. "That's why."

"What if we could get her to apologize and, and, as an added bonus, we'll figure out a way to restore the timeline?" Timmy suggested. "We'll bring back your Timmy and Chloe, set your relationship with Cosmo back to normal, and everything will be fixed."

They were seated in a dark room with Wanda on an upholstered red chair with golden arms and legs. As they spoke, her fingers tightened on the arms. He sat on a hard metal chair facing her; Cosmo and Poof floated, and the other Cosmo walked listlessly around the room. He was still muttering to himself and seemed utterly unaware of the proceedings.

"You still love him," Timmy argued. "You know you do. You know that if you didn't love him, you wouldn't have let us in here in the first place."

Her gaze remained locked onto her Cosmo. Silence fell, and the light overhead flickered. Timmy's butt was getting cold on this metal folding chair. The room's exit felt far away, too far to escape a magical fire if it should occur. He couldn't even see the exit from here, either. That didn't exactly make him feel much better.

The silence grew unbearable, and he fidgeted.

"Of course I still love him," she said, sounding irritated. "If you can accomplish this impossible thing, then I will give you the soul sliver to restore your Wanda. Regardless of how careless it was in the first place for you to let this happen."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he said. "I've heard it before."

"Maybe now it'll sink in," she snapped.

"It has sunk in!" he retorted. "I feel like crap, okay? I shouldn't have ignored the problem for that long, and now we're paying for it. All of us."

Wanda nodded, waved her wand, and they disappeared, back to Mama Cosma's house. Mama Cosma rushed out to confront Cosmo, but Poof held her in stasis. If they were going to make this work somehow, they needed her under control.

And they needed the other Timmy and Chloe. But first, they needed to get around Jorgen.


	9. Chime

Chapter Nine: Chime

Timmy couldn't believe it. Chloe was actually absent, for the first time she'd come here. Crocker was in shock, dismay, and then, as he usually did, he turned to rage. Timmy was currently standing on a stool while barking dogs on leashes attempted to rend his flesh. They came close and the stool rocked back and forth. He pulled himself onto the window ledge and his heart pounded.

"I don't think so, Turner," Crocker sneered. "That's cheating."

"Don't you think my parents are gonna wonder why I'm coming home with bite and claw marks?" he retorted.

"Turner, you and I both know your parents are duller than an unsharpened pencil. They wouldn't notice if you fell from the sky into your house."

Okay, yeah, that was probably true. Still...where the heck were Cosmo and Wanda? Shouldn't they be putting a stop to this? And why wasn't Chloe here? Chloe mitigated Crocker's evilness. Desperate, he sought his friends' gazes. Chester looked anxious, A.J. stood up, and Sanjay and Elmer were clutching each other in terror. Yeah, he'd probably get no help from that quarter either.

"Mr. Crocker," AJ began, "as much as I'd love to disagree with you about Timmy's parents, I can't."

"Good," he barked. "Now sit down."

"But the authorities might notice if a kid came directly from school with bite and scratch marks," he pointed out.

"Thanks, dude," Timmy gasped as the stool swayed again. One of the dogs bit at a leg and it fell over. Yelping, Timmy swung onto the window ledge again. This time, Crocker took the long window opener that cranked the higher windows and pushed him into the fray. Furious, three dogs rounded on him. They were salivating and their teeth looked especially sharp under the florescent lights. He could taste his heartbeat.

Situated as he was, he was at the barest edge of their leashes. They strained, snarling and dripping drool onto him. If he remained perfectly still, he wouldn't get attacked. He worked to control his breathing. Oh, no. That wasn't a sneeze coming on, was it? If he sneezed, he was doomed.

"While I admire your courage," Crocker said, "I could simply say that Turner wandered into a pack of wild dogs."

"But everyone here would know you were lying," he countered.

Pink fairy dust showered down upon him and Wanda, disguised as a beetle, crawled up to him. He'd never been more glad to see her in his life.

"Wanda!" he hissed. "I wish the dogs were gone!"

"But none of you would dare tell, or I'll fail you all," Crocker cackled. He turned his head and spied Wanda as a beetle. Wanda shrank back and one of the dogs sniffed at her. Then promptly ate her. He saw a faint glow in the dog's mouth and she reappeared, drenched and irritated. She raised her wand and a whirlwind came out, removing the dogs, temporarily occluding the classroom, and restoring things to normal. His heart slowed down.

"You okay, sport?" she asked. He responded by sneezing and she grimaced, holding up a small umbrella to avoid getting sprayed.

"A few minutes later and I would've been doggy shish-kebob," he complained. "What took you so long?"

"A simple 'thank you' would've sufficed," she muttered. Timmy straightened up off the floor, scooped Wanda up, cupped her in his palm, and then tucked her into his right front pocket. He felt her shift into something else and when he patted his pocket, he felt rubber. An eraser again, then. That was more innocuous.

"And, as usual, Turner avoids getting horribly maimed," Crocker commented. "And I am again disappointed."

"I'm not," Timmy grumbled. Wanda appeared on his desk. He was still upset with her for disappearing when he needed her. Where had she been? What was Chloe doing that was so important that he got forgotten again? Man, sometimes he really resented Chloe. Okay, a lot of the time.

( _"_ _My fairies! Get your own!"_ )

"Hmm, I'll have to find something else to torture Turner with…" Crocker mused.

"Or you could just teach us, like a normal teacher," AJ suggested. Timmy was torn. Which was worse? Crocker's instruction or being attacked by rabid dogs? Could he have a moment to think that one over?

"Yeah, maybe, but that doesn't sound very entertaining," he said. He glowered at Timmy. A shadow moved past the classroom and it resembled Miss Waxelplax. Crocker grimaced at the door.

"On the other hand, I would like to continue to be employed…" he said. "All right, students, we'll doing math. Open your books. Now!"

While Crocker commenced another boring lecture Timmy had no intention of paying attention to, he took the opportunity to whisper to Wanda.

"What's the deal? And where's Cosmo?" he asked.

"Cosmo's with Chloe," she explained. "The alternate was to leave him with you, which, frankly, didn't seem safe."

"Why? Does Chloe need to be babysat?" he sneered.

"She's sick, sport. Cut her some slack."

"She's never sick," he scoffed. "Something's up."

Wanda hesitated like she had when telling them about Tootie. There was more bad news in the offing, then. He glared at her. Why couldn't she just spit it out? What was with the secretive crap all of a sudden?

"What?" he hissed. "Tell me."

"I can't," she said. "I don't think she'd want me to."

"What does Little Miss Perfect have to freak out about? A bad hair day?" He rolled his eyes. Chloe was probably blowing whatever it was way out of proportion like usual. Crazy lady. He didn't know why Cosmo and Wanda preferred her, when they'd had him longer and he was way better. And he wasn't jealous. No way.

"Timmy, I'm giving you one warning. Drop it."

His godmother's voice was tense and this only irritated him further. "You prefer her to me and now you're taking her side on something? Typical."

Wanda glared back. Let her be all high and mighty. "Fine, go hang out with her. I know you like her better anyway."

"That's not it," she protested.

"You didn't say you didn't," he countered.

"We don't play favorites."

He sneered again. "Bull."

"If you're not gonna tell me, I'll just ask her myself," he snapped. Crocker's shadow fell over the desk and, guilty, Timmy glanced up. He smiled sheepishly. Apparently, his conversation hadn't gone unnoticed, even if people probably hadn't heard the other half.

"Are you done talking to your eraser, Turner?" he snapped. "Why don't I just confiscate it? What will you do then? Talk to your desk? You're crazier than I am and that's saying something."

Grabbing Wanda tightly, he tossed her into his desk and locked it. Timmy jumped to his feet. While he was upset with Wanda for playing games, he didn't want her captured either, especially since who knew what was in Crocker's desk. It couldn't be anything good, though.

"That's mine," he snapped.

"And now it's not," he shot back. "Maybe if you listened for once, you wouldn't be failing."

He fumed, but said nothing else. Wanda ought to be able to magick her way out of the desk with no problem, unless there were butterfly nets in the drawer. Then again, Timmy wouldn't put it past him. Crocker was just psychotic enough to do that.

Eh, served her right if there was a butterfly net in there. That'd teach her to play favorites. Timmy would rescue her later. She'd be fine in the meantime. He wouldn't worry about her at all.

After school was over, Crocker gave him the eraser back and Timmy stormed over to Chloe's house. He wasn't speaking with Wanda, because she still wouldn't tell him what had caused Chloe to take a sick day. Whatever. He'd pry the truth out of Chloe somehow. It wasn't like she'd be able to stand up to too much interrogation.

When he was shown up to her room, he found her and Cosmo playing cards. He snorted. She wasn't sick at all. She was goofing off. Since when did she play hookey?

"So, you stole Cosmo and Wanda because you wanted a day off?" he snapped. "Bogus. I even brought you your homework, if you're gonna do it."

Chloe turned toward him and he saw her eyes were red-rimmed from tears. He paused, mouth slightly agape.

"What's the matter?" he taunted, but it lacked most of his former menace. "Your homework wasn't perfect enough?"

Chloe shook her head and bit her bottom lip. Then she burst into tears again and Timmy felt like the worst person in the world. This couldn't be homework related. Chloe was sobbing like someone had broken her heart. Feeling dreadful now, he crawled onto the bed with Cosmo and hugged her. Chloe flinched.

"Sorry," she mumbled. "I just...wasn't expecting that."

"You've never done that before," he said. "And I jumped all over you thanks to your stupid Care Bears crap."

"Fair Bears," she corrected absently. She latched onto him and sobbed silently, getting his shirt wet. Normally, he might've complained, but now he was dumbstruck. He patted her back and stroked her hair. Man, he was way out of his element here.

"Guys, what the heck happened?" he asked.

"I told you, sport," Wanda said severely, "this is bigger than you."

"Okay, so something happened between last night and today," he said. "Your parents seem okay."

"They don't know," she mumbled. "I couldn't tell them."

"Tell them what?" he asked and Chloe just shook her head. She rested against him for another moment and then lightly pushed away. Relieved, he released her, and she grabbed Wanda instead. He wasn't jealous, oddly enough. He was approaching worried.

After a minute, when Timmy thought she wouldn't speak again, Chloe cleared her throat. Tears slipped down her cheeks, but she seemed to have regained a measure of control over herself.

"Remember when I said that they said there was a two-pronged attack against us?" she whispered.

"Yeah…" he said, frowning. "So?"

"The first attack was last night. In my dreams. Azalea did something...something so horrible I can't even tell you," she said and shook her head. She whimpered, hugging Wanda so tightly it looked like it hurt. Wanda's expression was strained, but Timmy couldn't tell if it was from the hug or Chloe's description.

"It was so bad you wished you were sick?"

She nodded and Timmy looked down. For lack of a better thing to look at, his gaze fell upon the cards. They had been playing Uno when he and Wanda interrupted. His stomach twisted.

"Do you want me to leave you alone?" he asked after a pause.

"I don't know what I want," she said sadly. "I don't want to be completely alone."

"We could watch TV," he offered. "Just...not Fair Bears. Ever again."

"What about the Crimson Chin TV show?" she offered and he could tell she was making an effort for him. She smiled weakly and he was simultaneously anxious over her and facing the stirrings of anger. Not at her, mind you, but at whoever had hurt her. Someone had reduced Chloe to this and it wasn't right. She was his friend too. Plus, they shared fairies, so didn't he owe her at least a little consideration?

"Sounds good to me," he replied. She hopped off the bed after releasing Wanda and produced a box set Timmy hadn't known she possessed. He'd thought her DVD collection consisted entirely of Fair Bears. She popped the first disc into the DVD player and rejoined him on the bed. Once there, she hugged her knees and her lower lip trembled.

"How was school without me?" she asked.

"Oh, the usual. Crocker tried to kill me," he said and shrugged. "And he locked Wanda up in his desk. But nothing out of the ordinary."

Chloe cast her gaze downward. He'd expected more of a reaction than that.

"You know, I don't really feel like talking all of a sudden," she whispered. "Could we just watch TV?"

"Fine by me," he said. They let the show run and Chloe curled up between him and Cosmo. Wanda was on Timmy's other side and he mouthed an apology at her. He hadn't realized things were this bad. Wanda mouthed back 'apology accepted' and he was a little relieved. Not entirely, because whatever had gone on with Chloe was serious.

His phone rang and he looked at it. His dad was on the other end.

"Hey, Timmy," his dad said. "We're leaving for the night, but your babysitter is here. Lorenzo, not Vicky."

"Sweet!" he said, forgetting Wanda's warning. He jumped to his feet and off her bed. "I gotta go. My babysitter's here. You've met him. Lorenzo."

"Timmy…" Wanda said, a reprimand in her voice.

"Don't go," Chloe begged.

"I'll be right next door," he said, rolling his eyes. "And you're welcome to come with me."

"It's not a good idea," Wanda snapped.

"We'll be totally fine," he said. "Honestly, you worry too much."

"And you don't worry enough," she countered.

What could possibly go wrong? His godparents were overreacting. As for Chloe, she was being unusually clingy, but she could always come with him if she didn't want to be left alone. And maybe they could get to the bottom of whoever had hurt her.

With Wanda nullifying Blonda's command, it was much easier to plot to distract Jorgen. All Timmy needed was one really good explosion. Grinning, he ordered Poof to cause the munitions warehouse to explode; no one would be hurt, as Cosmo had cleared the area beforehand. But it did, on the plus side, cause a loud boom and fireworks to fly every which way.

He had to say, there was nothing like a great explosion to cheer you up. He wished he'd recorded it, but apparently, staying to see whether it would record would "take up too much time". Besides, staying to record it would mean lingering until Jorgen showed up, which defeated the purpose of blowing it up. So while Jorgen popped over to the fireworks plant to see what had happened, Timmy, Cosmo, and Poof made their way to the maximum security building that housed his counterpart, Chloe, and countless other children.

It looked nothing like a prison, which was both good and bad. Instead, it resembled a college dormitory, complete with little placecards for each person within the room. Unfortunately, there had to be at least a hundred rooms on the ground floor alone. They'd have to ask someone and hope they knew where they were. Otherwise, it could take years to search this place.

Unfortunately, that meant finding the front desk. They'd snuck in through a side entrance; the desk could be anywhere.

"I wish we were at the desk!" he said. They didn't know how much time they had to search and anyway, this was much faster. Cosmo and Poof waved their wands and appeared before a fairy with dark purple hair and tipped ears. The fairy looked up from a giant tome written in an undecipherable language and his amethyst eyes caught onto the trio of them. He smirked.

"You three look awfully guilty," he said.

"Us? No way. Must've been some other people who were sneaking in here," Timmy said, nervously. "Can you do us a solid and tell us where Timmy Turner and Chloe Carmichael are?"

"You mean the other Timmy Turner," he replied, snorting. "I'm well aware of what you look like. As for where they are-if you poofed yourself to the front desk, why didn't you just wish yourself to where they are? Wouldn't that have been a lot less work?"

"He's got a point there," Cosmo said and Timmy facepalmed.

"I get it, I get it. I screwed up. So can you tell me where they are or not?" he huffed.

"Dude. Just wish it," he said and shook his head. "I don't know where every single child in this building is. It'd be insane. I have a masterlist, of course, but only Jorgen has access to it. We have to call and ask Jorgen to see it otherwise."

"Well, this was stupid," Timmy said.

"You can say that again."

"I wish we were with the other Timmy and Chloe!" he announced and they vanished again, only to appear in a room that resembled a dorm even more. There was a mini fridge, a TV, two computers, two beds, a video game console, windows that looked out onto a grassy field that wasn't actually there, a small bathroom, two closets, and a couple of bureaus for storing things. His counterpart was on his stomach playing a videogame, but Chloe was nowhere to be seen.

"You're gonna die in about ten seconds," Timmy informed him. "That move never works."

"What do you know?" he said, not registering the voice. "Damn it! Okay, who are you and…"

He trailed off as he rolled over to contemplate them. "Cosmo! Poof!"

Ignoring Timmy's huff, he rushed over and hugged them. Poof hugged him back; Cosmo just looked awkward. Timmy knew the feeling. Folding his arms across his chest, he glowered at his counterpart.

"Uh, hello? My fairies. Get your own," he said. "And where's that Chloe girl?"

" _Your_ fairies?" he shot back. Then he pulled back, looked at Cosmo and Poof, and frowned. "I thought there was something off about them."

"Chloe?" he pressed.

"She's in solitary again," he said. "We can go see her, but there's no use talking to her unless you've got some good news. She's been on and off since we got stuck here."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, wrinkling his nose. "And isn't solitary where they shove the unruly prisoners?"

"Sorry. I meant the psych ward."

Timmy went cold. His counterpart said it with such nonchalance, as though this happened all the time. Waving his hand, he gestured for him to follow as they left his room, locked the door, and headed down the hall. Everything looked the same as what they'd seen before; green carpeting, notes tacked to doors and/or names on paper slips taped to the door, random routers and sprinklers. They passed a garbage room, as well as a study room, a lounge, a laundry room, and vending machines.

"What the heck is she doing in there?" he asked.

"Like I said, she's been a little...off since we got here," he said. "Chloe's got this weird perfectionism problem and when the wish went bad, something in her kinda broke. She's okay once in a while, if you're really careful with what you say to her, but otherwise, she has to be locked up for her own good."

Feeling even more awkward, the buzz from blowing up that warehouse fading, Timmy said nothing in response. It took them another few minutes, more passing random doorways and rooms, before they arrived at a door that said, "Quiet area. No bad news or aggression permitted."

His counterpart palmed a key card, held it up to the lock beside the door, and the light went from red to green. He pulled on the door handle and held it open for them. Within, there was another hallway and it was deadly silent, a sharp contrast to the occasional sound bursts coming from the other rooms. They walked until they reached the room on the end, which was marked with Chloe's name.

"Hello? Are you up for company? Cosmo and Poof are here!" he said. "Oh, and, uh, this weird version of me wants to talk to you for some reason."

"I know how to fix the timeline!" he said.

The door swung open with such force that it banged into the opposite wall. A girl with bedraggled blonde hair, a chipped tooth, and blue eyes with shadows beneath them stared at them. She was wan and gaunt, her clothes hanging off her, and Timmy couldn't help but notice that her smile was "off", like she was trying not to scream instead.

"Hi!" she said brightly. "My name is Chloe Carmichael. But of course you already knew that, hah, hah, of course you did. Come on in."

She gestured for them to step inside the room, which contained just a cot, a bathroom, and a dresser. Everything was nailed down. Unlike his counterpart, she lacked a window and everything was white. Chloe beamed at them, her eyelid twitching, and Timmy was beginning to rethink this.

"What's your plan to fix the timeline?" Chloe demanded, grabbing him by the collar and shaking him. "Tell me it's good and it'll work! I didn't make a mistake! I didn't!"

Oh man, this girl was crazier than a bowl of fruit loops. He looked uncertainly at Cosmo and Poof, but they had nothing. His counterpart shrugged, as if to say, "You got into this mess. You get yourself out." There'd be no help from that quarter either. And he needed that soul sliver. Bracing himself, he took a deep breath.

"Yes, I have a plan to fix the timeline," he said. "It involves getting Cosmo and Wanda back together again and changing the terms of the wish. I don't think it can be unwished at this point, so we're gonna have to go with the best we can do."

"How do you propose to change the terms?" she asked. There was a feverish glow in her eyes.

"Mama Cosma's gonna apologize for what she did...and, uh…"

"We'll change it so that it doesn't allow specific harm to someone or a group of someones," the other Timmy added. Chloe relinquished her grasp on Timmy and he was able to breathe easier. There were spots of color in her cheeks, bright pink in contrast to waxen white.

"That could work," she agreed. "Does Jorgen know about this?"

"Uh…" they all hesitated. "No."

"You're doing this behind his back?" she said and wrung her hands. "This isn't a bad decision, is it? I don't want to make another bad decision. I can't take another bad decision. Please tell me you know what you're doing!"

"We know what we're doing," Timmy said. "...basically."

It was that last that sounded weak, but Chloe overlooked it. She latched onto her version of Timmy and shook him so hard that something might have rattled. Wincing in sympathy, Timmy glanced at Cosmo and Poof. Cosmo was making the 'nuts' sign with his finger and Poof looked concerned, but not enough to cry. Just a furrowed brow.

"Let's go already!" she cried.

"One crazy to go, hold the fries!" Cosmo said, holding up his wand. Timmy shot him a dirty look that went unnoticed in the dust cloud that emerged. His stomach twisted. Oh, man, if he didn't know what he was doing, he was in a lot of trouble. Because he didn't have a backup plan besides begging Wanda for the necklace and he had a feeling that was a no go.

Of course, this whole thing might not be pulled off if Jorgen got wind of it. He'd been forbidden to meddle in the timeline and Timmy had disobeyed his orders. Then again, Jorgen ought to be used to that by now. Timmy never listened to anyone.

They were about to poof back into Blonda's house when the wish took an abrupt jerk and they found themselves in Jorgen's office instead.

"TIMMY TURNER!" Jorgen bellowed and Timmy's ears rang. "YOU DELIBERATELY WENT BEHIND MY BACK AND DISOBEYED ME!"

"Which one of us are you yelling at?" the other Timmy said, smirking. Jorgen was not amused. His eyes flashed and he looked like he wanted nothing more than to throttle the both of them. Chloe smiled weakly at Jorgen. She hadn't had much experience with him and was probably thinking she could endear herself to him.

"Both of you!" he snarled. "What part of 'don't meddle in the timeline did you not understand'?"

"Uh...the part where I couldn't get home?" Timmy offered.

"Please, I know this looks bad, but he tells us that he has a plan to fix the timeline," Chloe rushed in. Jorgen surveyed her and his frown deepened. Timmy fully expected him to tell her off, but instead, he looked contemplative. What the hell. If he'd done that, Jorgen would've blasted him. Why did Chloe get carte blanche?

"And this plan is?" Jorgen growled.

"If we can get Cosmo and Wanda back together and get Mama Cosma to apologize, plus if we reword the wish so that no one gets hurt or overlooked, maybe we have a chance of fixing things," Timmy said in a rush. "It was that Bond thing breaking that caused this, right?"

"If this does not work, I will lock you up with your counterpart and Chloe and you will spend the rest of time there is with him," Jorgen snarled.

"You can't do that!" he pleaded. "If I don't come back with Wanda's soul sliver, she'll die!"

"That…" He must've been starting to say that that was no longer his concern, but he stopped. Jorgen might be brash and aggressive, but he was not cruel. Something moved behind his eyes and he clenched his wand. Sighing, he shook his head.

"Then this had better work," he said.

-

Chloe declined his offer to join him at his house and Cosmo and Wanda were torn, again, between godchildren. Promising them he'd be perfectly fine with Lorenzo, Timmy returned to his house sans his godparents. He walked in on his parents leaving, assured them he'd be good, and found Lorenzo with the latest video game already queued up. He grinned at him, and again Wanda's warning chimed in his head. Maybe he ought to bring it up to him…

"So, uh, I was talking to my friend Chloe, and, well, she said she got some weird vibes off you. That's ridiculous, right?" he said and laughed weakly. "She seems to think you're dangerous. You're totally not."

"Of course not," he reassured him. "I would never hurt you."

There, that was settled. Perhaps the strange feeling in the pit of his stomach would abate too. After all, what reason would Lorenzo have for lying to him? He wasn't evil like Vicky. And something about him seemed so familiar, but Timmy couldn't put his finger on it.

They settled in to play games. Lost in his game as he was, he didn't notice Lorenzo sidling closer to him. Like before, Lorenzo kept a pillow on his lap, which Timmy thought was strange.

"What's up with the pillow?" he asked during a cut scene. Lorenzo had shifted closer to him again and they were almost touching. Timmy moved away and although his babysitter raised his eyebrows, he didn't comment.

"It's more comfortable to rest my elbows on a pillow while I play," he explained. Was that the source of Cosmo's discomfort? An elbow to the eye? Talk about exaggeration.

"Would you like a snack?" Lorenzo asked. When Timmy said 'yes', he got up, fetched it for him, and placed it on the table. Man, Lorenzo was way better than Vicky. Vicky would never have done that, not in a million years. He smiled at Lorenzo and Lorenzo squeezed his hand.

"We are going to have fun together, aren't we?" he said.

He ran his fingers through Timmy's hair and plucked something out. For some odd reason, his touch was giving Timmy the creeps. Vague alarm bells had started going off in his head, but he pushed them back down. Lorenzo removed his hands from Timmy's hair and Timmy swallowed hard.

"Let's just play, okay?" Timmy said, wincing when his voice sounded shaky.

"Of course, of course."

They continued playing for a while, until another cut scene. Damn, Timmy hated cut scenes. They always got in the way of playing. He didn't care about the story. He just wanted to kill things. Why couldn't they have skippable cut scenes?

"You know, I knew someone just like you, once," Lorenzo mused. "He was brash, impulsive, and yet, very trusting."

"I'm not that trusting," he scoffed.

"You let a virtual stranger into your home to babysit you."

"Yeah, but…" Timmy shrugged. "You're cool. You're not like most grown-ups. You like video games, you play them, and you do my bidding."

He expected Lorenzo to laugh that off or concur. He did neither. Instead, his blue eyes, which Timmy noticed were the same shade as his own, swirled and their pupils locked onto his. Suddenly, Timmy felt a little woozy. He saw, out of the corner of his eye, what looked like a wand, but that couldn't be it. Confused, he straightened up, but the wand vanished.

"You're not going to remember any of this," Lorenzo told him. "I've waited far too long to continue on without a taste."

"What are you talking about?" he protested and gasped when Lorenzo kissed him. He tried to struggle away, but he was weak and Lorenzo gripped him tightly. His hands were suddenly traveling along his body now, slipping beneath the waistband of his pants. Timmy opened his mouth to call for his godparents and Lorenzo covered it with his own.

The elbow thing hadn't been at all what Cosmo had been complaining about. Lorenzo shifted Timmy from the couch to his lap and Lorenzo's erection poked against Timmy's butt. He shuddered and tried to push away again, to no avail. Dude, what the hell? What was going on? Had...had Chloe known this was happening? Or did she just suspect something was wrong with Lorenzo?

It took little time for Lorenzo to divest Timmy of his shirt and pants. Once he was disrobed, he found himself paralyzed, standing there for Lorenzo to gaze at.

"You are such a beautiful specimen," Lorenzo said softly. "Of course, my preferred choice is my sire, but he's grown too old and too well protected to be of any use to me now."

Timmy attempted to form words, but they died on his lips.

"Incidentally, your friend Chloe was right. And so were Cosmo and Wanda. Ah, yes, didn't think I knew about them, did you?" he said and smiled. He waved his wand and a dark crown floated over his head. "Took forever to get that thing. You wouldn't believe what I had to go through."

"You're...you're…" Timmy choked out the words. "You're an anti-fairy!"

"Correction: I'm your anti-fairy. Well, another version of you. I do more than bring bad luck, you know.

"That's enough talking, I think. I wouldn't want you to get ideas about bringing your godparents back."

Timmy's mouth sealed and Lorenzo unzipped his pants. He was highly disturbed to see Lorenzo stroking himself, his penis large and probably intended for an area on Timmy's body that it would not fit. Shaking uncontrollably now, he jerked away, but the wand's spell held him in place. When wishes went wrong, they menaced him, but not like this. He was genuinely terrified. His teeth chattered and he whimpered, sound muffled by his closed lips.

"Nothing too onerous for today, I promise," Lorenzo assured him. "Just help me get off."

To Timmy's horror, Lorenzo brought his hands to his penis and used them to stroke him. He was facing him now, the erection between them and Timmy felt so horribly unclean. For some odd reason, that brought to mind Chloe. Had Chloe suffered something similar? Oh god, he was so sorry he'd doubted her.

It took little time for Lorenzo to come, splashing Timmy in the face with his ejaculation. Chills besieged him anew as Lorenzo made him lick himself clean and he tasted the acrid liquid down his throat. It burned. He couldn't stop shaking. He wanted his godparents so badly. Tears slipped down his cheeks.

He was so sorry he'd doubted them.

The wand waved again, cleaning him and the couch off, and then Timmy's eyelids drooped. His clothes returned too and he'd never been so grateful to have them in his life.

"All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream," Lorenzo intoned. "You will remember none of this."

Timmy fell into a deep, dreamless sleep; the memories would be locked in his subconscious, but inaccessible to him otherwise. And there they would stay unless acted upon by an external force, like an enraged Wanda.

-

Azalea was mildly surprised when Lorenzo returned, humming, to their hideout. She folded her arms across her chest, though she couldn't suppress the sly smile that crossed her lips. She was seated in front of the computer and searching for a way to neutralize Cosmo and Wanda's wands. And their backup wands. She was also looking to implement Lorenzo's idea of fracturing the multiverse, which intrigued her. Disabling Wanda in this universe would leave Cosmo, a much reduced threat. And if Lorenzo could do that everywhere, then they could both get what they wanted, provided Chloe existed in every universe. And she would insist on only trafficking the universes with Chloe in them.

"I take it you had a profitable afternoon," she said. Lorenzo flashed her a grin.

"I did," he purred. "And Timmy will be none the wiser. His godparents were busy tending to Chloe. Thank you, by the way, for that."

"Oh, no problem," she responded, grinning back. "I look forward to the day I can take her in person."

Lorenzo's grin faded. "How do you intend to do that when she distrusts you? At least Timmy has a modicum of trust in me. Chloe is far more intelligent than her erstwhile partner."

"Admittedly, there are a few kinks to work out," she said and stretched, listening to her joints pop. "It would be far easier if I were her godmother, but of course, Jorgen would never let me have that much control over a child again."

She glanced at him fully for the first time and clapped her hands. "You've earned your crown! I was beginning to wonder if you'd never receive it!"

"My home universe must have decided I'm a fully-fledged anti-fairy instead of a fledgling," he said and his smile returned. "It was absurd, of course, that a baby could earn a crown and not me. I'm glad that situation has been rectified."

He glanced into a mirror he conjured up, the better to admire his new black crown. She permitted him to study himself for a minute before speaking again.

"I'll have to be very slow in my approach. I'll also have to find ways to distract Cosmo and Wanda to prevent them from filling her head with all sorts of rumors and lies."

"Ah, yes," Lorenzo said and smirked. "The fake news the lamestream media always spews. What is it this time? That you're a child molester? The liberal news always gets it wrong."

She snorted. "Careful, Lorenzo. Wouldn't want you falling into human politics."

He shook his head and leaned over her chair. "How goes it on our project?"

"It's much more helpful than I thought to have Wanda's essence, albeit fractured, in a necklace," she remarked. "It helps isolate her signature throughout the multiverse. Unfortunately, it's always bound up in Cosmo's...or almost always. In a few cases, it's bound up with Juandissimo's or Anti-Cosmo's. But it's never by itself."

Lorenzo frowned, but didn't comment.

"I have to work on tweaking it and rendering it unstable," she said. "Once that falls into place, we should be good to go for any universe."

"And how long do you think that will take?"

She groaned. "A while. I'm nowhere near that stage yet. In the meantime, might I suggest you work on being less suspicious around Timmy? I don't know what you did this afternoon, but after your activities, I would be willing to bet the fairies are on heightened alert."

"I cleaned up all the evidence," he scoffed. "I mind-wiped the boy."

"Be that as it may," she said, shaking her head, "I would like you to refrain from future activity for a while. Or pick another target. Hmm, one of his little friends might be pleasurable."

"I have no interest in Timmy's friends," he scoffed. "Especially not the one with the boil. That one is an eyesore."

"You can't have Chloe," she objected.

"I have no interest in her either. Timmy is the one I want, the one I've always wanted," he said and shook his head. "Why should I refrain when it's going so well?"

"Cosmo won't smell a rat, but Wanda will," she warned. "Wanda's far more intelligent than you give her credit for. She'll know that my attack on Chloe opened up the venue for an attack on Timmy and will be vigilant over both godchildren. The same trick won't work twice."

"She can't protect them both at once," he objected.

"She can if she ensures they spend their time together. Another thing-you're still off Jorgen's radar. You're free to move about Fairy World and Anti-Fairy World. I would like you to raid the armory. There are a few magical elements I need to make this plan succeed and they're locked up in there. I trust you'll have no difficulties, as you stole the transistor from your world's armory before."

"What about you?" he huffed.

"Jorgen has painted a bullseye on my back," she said, shaking her head. "If I show up in Fairy World, he'll pull out all the stops. And if I show up in Fairy World after he finds out I've been taking liberties with a human child, he'll be infuriated."

Lorenzo mulled this over. "All right. I'll lay low for a while and find another suitable child. There must be at least one stupid enough to permit me into their house. I wish you luck with Chloe."

Azalea laughed. "You do realize that as an anti-fairy, that doesn't work?"

"Wouldn't it be worse if I wished you bad luck?" he pointed out.

"Best you not wish me any luck at all," she said, wagging a finger at him. Still, she smiled. She was fond of him; he had so much to learn, too. His technique, too, could use some work. She cocked her head, considering that.

"After you finish at the armory with this list, I'd like to teach you a few things I've learned about seduction."

"I don't need your help," he said stiffly and she laughed.

"You always go straight for making him get you off," she said. "But if you prolong the moment, the pain and humiliation will be doubled. And if you touch them everywhere you can before you force them into sex, they will suffer all the more."

Lorenzo looked like he might object again, but shut his mouth.

"All right," he said. "Tell me what you know when I return."

He frowned. "I must ask, though-what is your anti-fairy like?"

"She's a goody-two shoes," she said, shaking her head. "Jorgen used her to lock me up."

"Shall we extract revenge on her, then?"

She beamed at him and, although she had never found adult men attractive, she was finding it hard to resist him. He was just so charming. She'd never met anyone as dedicated as him nor as persistent. He'd been at this for years. True, she had too, but they made a formidable team.

"Oh, I think so. We'll get her, Cosmo, and Wanda," she vowed. "If there's time later, I'll even let you try to kill Cosmo and Wanda. How would you like that?"

Lorenzo beamed back. "My dear, it would be my pleasure."

-

"What I don't get," Timmy said to no one in particular, "is why Wanda has the necklace. Shouldn't Anti-Cosmo or someone else have it? She wasn't one of the people on the list."

"Beats me," Cosmo said with a shrug. The alternate Cosmo and Wanda faced each other across the table. Cosmo's counterpart had his head down and was mumbling to himself while Wanda looked on with barely restrained irritation. She glanced up at their entrance and then winced when Jorgen followed them. Her gaze, however, didn't linger on Fairy World's leader. Instead, it went straight to Chloe and Timmy.

"Chloe!" she cried and reached out for both her and Timmy. "Timmy! I thought I'd never see you two again!"

"She doesn't look insane to me," Timmy commented as Wanda enveloped her godchildren in a tight embrace. At the words, Wanda hissed, glowering at him. He stared back, unperturbed. When she released her godchildren, they were locked inside a cage that had come out of nowhere. Okay, maybe she was off her rocker.

"Ahem," Jorgen said and Wanda snarled, racing up to him with her hair blazing.

"Wanna make something of it, pal?" she snapped.

"You know what? I changed my mind," Timmy said. "Definitely crazy."

"The alternate Timmy has a plan to restore the timeline!" Chloe said, hissing when she grabbed the bars and they electrocuted her. She whimpered, recoiling and rubbing her hands.

Jorgen slammed his wand down and a force field erupted between Wanda and Mama Cosma. Wanda growled, raising her wand regardless. Mama Cosma blinked, as if this animosity was somehow unexpected. Meanwhile, that universe's Cosmo looked up, bewildered.

"Wanda?" he said quietly.

"You! This is your fault!" she snarled at Mama Cosma.

"Enough!" Jorgen snapped. He rounded on Mama Cosma. "Since you have caused a rift that indirectly led to this timeline's demise, you must apologize and rectify your mistake. We will restore the Bond and proceed from there."

"Apologize?" Mama Cosma sniffed. "My Cosmo-lolo is so much better without Wanda ordering him around."

All eyes turned toward her son, who had returned to staring listlessly at the floor. Eyebrows raised, all except the alternate Cosmo, whose gaze was fixed on a floor tile. Wanda snarled again, full of impotent rage, and Poof whimpered, hiding behind Timmy, the one not currently in a cage, that is.

"While I am inclined to agree with Mama Cosma about Cosmo's risk to Earth and Fairy World-" Jorgen began and Wanda raced up to his face and held up a glowing wand threateningly, "-I can see that leaving him in this state would be catastrophic to the timeline. Take that wand out of my face, puny fairy."

"Wow," said Cosmo. "This Wanda's got balls."

"Wanna start something?" Wanda hurled over her shoulder at him and Cosmo flinched, making himself smaller so as to present less of a target.

"No, no, I'm fine."

"Or maybe this Wanda just picks fights with everybody," Timmy huffed.

"You got something to say to me?" Wanda snapped, rounding on Timmy. Within the cage, that Timmy and Chloe were huddled in the center and avoiding the bars. He almost envied them. At least there, Wanda couldn't attack them. The electricity should protect them as well as prevent them from escaping.

"Chill out," he said, which was apparently the wrong thing to say because the wand's hot tip burned into his cheek. He yelped, jumping backward. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"Apologize!" Jorgen snapped. "This has gone on long enough!"

"There's more where that came from!" Wanda snapped and Jorgen grabbed her. He plucked her wand from her fingers and held it in one hand while he squeezed her in the other. Wanda snarled again, hair turning to flames, and Jorgen just looked at her. There wasn't enough room for her to struggle in his giant fist.

"I'm sorry!" Mama Cosma burst out, gaze hooked onto Wanda. "I didn't realize that my wanting Cosmo back would have caused the timeline to fracture!"

"How are we supposed to Fly?" Wanda pointed out. "Cosmo has no magic."

"I will fix that," Jorgen said and then grimaced, rubbing a palm along his face. "Oberon and Titania help us all."

"How will we know if it works?" Timmy asked.

Jorgen growled. "We will give it a few hours."

"Hours?" he objected and Jorgen shot him a dirty look.

"Hours, got it. Hours." Yay, more waiting. As if this day couldn't get any more bring than it already was. What was Flying, anyway? How was it different from flying? And why was it going to take hours? What was so time-consuming about it?

At least this time, Timmy could chill and watch TV. Jorgen freed the captives and they all piled onto the couch, except for Chloe, who was in a ball rocking back and forth. She really needed a Xanax. Poof's lower lip quivered in sympathy for her and the alternate Timmy groaned, getting off the couch and getting on the floor beside her to murmur to her. Phew, he was glad he'd dodged that bullet, but then again, once they repaired his own timeline, that disaster might be coming his way.

"Hey, Cosmo," he said, seeing as no one was paying him the slightest mind. Jorgen had vanished, thankfully, and whatever was on TV didn't hold his attention.

"What's Flying?"

"Oh, it's a Bonding ritual," Cosmo replied. "It's when…wait…your parents never explained the wands and the wings, did they?"

"No…we have the birds and the bees and no, they didn't…" he said, perplexed.

"What do birds and the bees have to do with sex?" Cosmo said. "Bees are way too small to have sex with birds."

"How do wands and wings have sex?" he countered.

"It's just a euphemism," he explained. "You see, the wand is the penis and the wings are the vagina and…I need my sock puppets!"

He poofed them up and Timmy groaned. He was sorry he'd asked. He was especially sorry as it took Cosmo forty minutes to explain this, complete with talking puppets and mental images he was fairly sure no amount of brainwashing would ever remove. They were seared into his mind. Plus, now he had to think about Cosmo and Wanda having sex, which was making his eyelid twitch and his brain go numb with horror.

"And that's how fairies and humans have sex," Cosmo said and Timmy fell off the couch with a whimper.

"I'm sorry I asked! I'm so sorry!" he moaned.

"Why? Sex is fun!" Cosmo said.

Timmy banged his head into the couch. The mental images…they were so horrible…he curled into a ball and rocked back and forth, sucking his thumb.

Maybe the alternate Cosmo and Wanda weren't doing that at all. Maybe they were doing something else entirely. He glanced up to spy Chloe and the alternate Timmy still talking, Timmy rushing to reassure her of something.

"Wish I knew what was going on," Timmy grumbled and then immediately wished he hadn't. Cosmo popped up a small screen and he hastily wished it away. No, he was perfectly fine being ignorant.

-

For once, this wasn't coming naturally. She had Cosmo's attention, but nothing else. And she couldn't hold onto it. One minute he was watching her and the next, he was looking at the clouds. Normally, this wouldn't have been an issue. They should already be in sync, but Mama Cosma had broken something integral to their Bond. And even the feelings they should have had going into the Flight were absent.

She sighed. "Cosmo, do you even want this anymore?"

"Of course I do, baby," he responded. He offered her a brilliant smile and then, a second later, his eyes went vacant. She suppressed a scream. If he wanted her so badly, why wasn't he acting on it? And why was it always up to her to fix things? Who said she still wanted to be saddled with an idiot? Maybe she'd changed her mind. It wasn't like he'd apologized for how he'd treated her before. Why should she take him back?

The Flight should bring back the old thrill of the Chase and its consummation. She wanted to feel that, didn't she? Out of all the other faeries in the world, she'd chosen him. She could have chosen Juandissimo and been second in his heart to himself. She could have gone with Anti-Cosmo—he'd even given her the necklace, but there could've been an ulterior motive too.

Cosmo had originally been sweet, compassionate, and caring. He'd been sensitive to her needs and sympathetic. He'd wanted her for her, not as arm candy or to prove some oblique point. Maybe if she initiated the Chase, like she had the first time, everything would fall back into place. Maybe Cosmo would return to his previous iteration. It was the mate's job to catch his Intended. She swallowed hard and readied herself.

She realized she was girding herself for rejection. All those comments before had her believing he didn't want her. Moreover, she was almost positive what was left of his brain and heart had her thinking that too. And she wasn't sure her heart could take it.

"You'd better follow me," she warned. Then she launched herself into the air, heart in her throat. She was afraid to look behind her. Would she find him sitting on the ground and staring blankly? Or would she discover him chasing her like she'd hoped?

"I thought you weren't supposed to make things easy for me!" Cosmo yelled and her heart lifted. She chanced a glance backward and saw him gaining on her. "You're going way too slow! Isn't the Chase supposed to take a while? It took almost three hours the last time and that was when you wanted me to catch you!"

"Are you implying I don't want you to catch me?" she countered, putting on speed. Her heart skipped a beat and she was cautiously optimistic.

"Don't you want me anymore?" he asked and his voice was small, yet she heard him. She wheeled about and saw his lower lip quiver. Despite herself, her heart wrenched. Damn it, she loved him so much, even after all these years and after that shabby treatment. She would always love him. No one held a torch to her Cosmo.

"Don't you want me?" she repeated back. "Before the timeline collapsed, you didn't always act like you did."

"I didn't mean all those things I said," he protested, shaking his head. She zoomed closer, but still out of arm's reach.

"Then prove you still want me," she countered. "Catch me if you can, Cosmo Cosma."

With that, she put on a decisive burst of speed and propelled herself through the clouds. Cosmo's words echoed unpleasantly in her ears. It wasn't until she'd dashed through a rain cloud and drenched herself that she realized the droplets on her cheeks wasn't entirely rain. She wiped at her face and bit her lower lip.

Distantly, for the first time in a long time, she heard his mental voice. ((I love you.))

And she sent back, ((Then prove it.))

Because if he was going to show her he loved and cared for her, cherished her still…then she intended to make him jump through hoops too.


	10. Jumprope

Chapter Ten: Jumprope

They needed to deal with Cosmo and Wanda, by which she meant they needed to deal with Wanda. Azalea decided a dream visit was in order. She'd always loved invading dreams. There was something so sacred about them that had people up in arms as soon as she waltzed in. Plus, she'd longed to have a face to face with Wanda for a while. After which, she'd visit Chloe again.

Wanda was having a relatively mundane dream, in which she watched Timmy make a stupid wish that, predictably, blew up in his face. She was chastising him and being ignored when Azalea stepped into the bedroom. Timmy and Cosmo stopped talking to stare at her. She caught sight of that ridiculous fairy baby and produced a pin to puncture him. He looked like a giant ball, after all.

Poof wailed, hiding behind his mother. Azalea snorted, right before magic blasted her in the stomach and stole her breath away. Well, this wouldn't do. There were too many people here. She waved her own wand and Timmy, Cosmo, and Poof vanished. Now it was her and Wanda, whose eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"What do you want?" she snapped. "You _dared_ approach my goddaughter and invade her dreams. You— "

"I'll do much more than that," she purred. "I plan on having her in person again and again. As Lorenzo will have Timmy. Neither of your precious godchildren are safe from us. But, oh, won't it hurt when you hear Chloe and Timmy screaming for you and Cosmo and you'll be unable to lift a finger to help them?"

Wanda stiffened, holding her wand out in front of her like a weapon. "If you so much as touch her in person, I will bring Jorgen down on you so hard it'll make your head spin."

"Silly frach," Azalea said. "I'm not afraid of Jorgen. And I'm not afraid of you, either."

She sidled closer, invading Wanda's personal space. Wanda snarled, not backing down. Good. Azalea would have expected nothing less from her. She had a moment of pride, that she'd chosen such a good opponent.

"As for Timmy…Lorenzo already took some liberties with him earlier, but, oh, that's right, you were busy with Chloe," she said and laughed. "He'll be having some nightmares tonight, your beloved godson. And you claim to love him!"

Wanda's hair briefly turned to fire and she looked murderous. She raised her wand and it glowed in between them. Sparks flew off it and singed Azalea's cheek. Rather than be intimidated, she laughed. If only she could bottle Wanda's outrage. It was delicious.

"How much do you think Chloe will scream when I take her the first time in person?" Azalea said, cocking her head as if mulling this over. "I imagine she's quite fun to break."

For an instant, Wanda's eyes glowed like hot coals. Magic spewed from her wand and Azalea lazily put up a barrier between them. She hadn't been Jorgen's second in command for nothing, after all. Still, her power source was limited and only really functioned in dreams. Jorgen had been wise to cut her off from the tap.

"Don't. You. Dare," Wanda breathed.

"Oh, my, I'm afraid that duty calls," she purred. "Decide which godchild you love the most, would you? We'll be making the rounds and we'd hate to miss you and Cosmo."

Laughing in her face, she disappeared from the dream. She could still feel Wanda's fury pounding at her, even while briefly awake. She took the time to glance about the room; Lorenzo, for all his bravado, slept curled up in a ball. She got up from her cot across the room and smoothed back his hair. His brow was furrowed.

"Don't worry," she whispered. "I'll take care of Cosmo and Wanda. Don't you worry your pretty little head."

Then she lay back down on her cot and went to sleep again, seeking out Chloe. Chloe's astral form was like a beacon; the girl was so distressed that she was easy to find on the astral plane. She discovered Chloe sitting in her room watching Fair Bears and whispering to herself frantically. She waited until the girl became so engrossed in her show that she failed to notice Azalea sitting beside her.

"Which one's your favorite?" she said and Chloe jumped.

"I don't play favorites…" she said and frowned at her. As Azalea had taken care to keep her features indistinct, Chloe was having trouble placing why the woman bothered her so much. She knew Chloe had a big heart and possibly would have forgiven almost any slight, except one to her friends. She also knew that Chloe loved Timmy, Cosmo, and Wanda dearly. If she wanted to rile her up, she could always tell her what she'd just told Wanda.

She leaned forward and kissed Chloe on the lips. Chloe kicked away from her, landing on the floor. Springing to her feet and looking outraged, she wiped her mouth.

"Who are you and what are you doing in my dream?" she demanded.

"Oh, so you're a lucid dreamer, are you?" Azalea said. "Color me impressed. But I'm hurt you don't remember me. Did you think so little of our last night together?"

"You're…" The color drained from Chloe's face. "Cosmo! Wanda!"

"They're occupied at the moment with Timmy," she replied. "Or if not now, they will be very soon."

"What are you doing to them?" Chloe hissed. "Don't you dare hurt my friends."

"No? Then you wouldn't mind whatever I did to you, then?" She circled her and pushed her back onto the bed. Stripping off her shirt, she pressed her chest against Chloe's face. Chloe bit her and Azalea laughed. Such fire. She was trying to push her off and Azalea merely increased her weight. She slipped her hands underneath her waistband again and between her thighs. The girl's panic beat at her like a trapped butterfly.

"You seem rather frightened for someone who only cares about her friends," she teased.

"Get off me!" Or, rather, that was what she'd intended to say, but her words were muffled beneath her breasts. She fingered her and smiled before bringing Chloe's hands up to slip in between her thighs. Oh, yes, she'd have to teach her a great deal about how to please a woman, but it would be worth it.

Chloe was doing everything within her power to dislodge her, which wasn't much considering that Azalea was pressing her advantage. She moaned when the girl hit a sweet spot and guided her closer to it. Small fingers could be remarkably adept.

Should she make her taste it? It was such a turn-on to force girls to do that, but she was pretty sure she was pushing things as it was. How far should she take it? She felt warm tears against her chest and the girl's ineffectual biting. She was trying to squirm out from under to no avail.

No, she'd antagonized Wanda enough tonight. She ought to back off now and watch how things proceeded. Besides, Chloe wasn't going anywhere. Until she figured out how to wish away a fairy, which was impossible, or to summon Jorgen down upon her (which _was_ , sadly, possible) and capture her again, she was trapped.

"I'll see you later, little Miss Carmichael," she promised and as a parting shot, forced the girl's head lower. Chloe shuddered uncontrollably and Azalea chuckled before waking up again. She fingered the soul sliver she'd been entrusted with and smiled. A multiverse without Wanda would be such a sweet, sweet thing. She couldn't wait.

In the meanwhile, though, she'd love to see the fallout from tonight. Because while she'd been having fun with Chloe, Lorenzo had been practicing on Timmy.

For the moment, Lorenzo remained asleep, but she knew he'd be evicted from Timmy's dream too. And Wanda would be so enraged she'd be unable to control herself. She'd be incapable of comforting either godchild, so the task would fall to Cosmo. And Cosmo couldn't possibly mollify both children in two different hours at the same time.

All in all, not a bad night's work. It was a shame that she and Lorenzo had to skulk around Dimmsdale instead of being out in the open, but it was too risky. Jorgen was already alerted to her presence. If she used magic too wantonly, beyond the faerie glamour she employed, she risked exposure. And she refused to give up her quarry until she'd gotten what she wanted.

It made her wonder, briefly, if Chloe had had her first period. If so, then she would be entering adolescence. That didn't dim Azalea's lust for her, but it would mean that she'd be growing, possibly having mood swings and awkwardness. Azalea had worked with that before and it meant teens got snippy and vulnerable. It was that last she was looking forward to the most.

Mmm. Next time, she'd make Chloe taste her forbidden fruit.

Timmy woke up with a scream and huddled, in a ball, on his bed. As usual, his parents didn't rush in to see what was wrong. They never came when he needed them, only his godparents did. Yet only Cosmo had appeared. Timmy cocked his head at his godfather.

"Where's Wanda?" he asked. Just as he said this, the fish bowl water boiled and Cosmo yelped, hiding behind Timmy. Timmy drew a deep, shuddering breath to brace himself. Wanda burst out of the fish bowl and snarled, her hair flames and her eyes burning like twin coal fires.

"Um…" he stared at her.

"She told me this would happen!" Wanda snarled. "She told me and…"

She and Cosmo cocked their heads as though listening to something only they could hear. If anything, Wanda's expression darkened further. Her wand splintered in her hand and she too braced herself, as though she was afraid to lose control. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen her this enraged. He scooted back on the bed and his teeth chattered.

Every once in a while, he forgot that his godparents had fantastical magic powers that could seriously hurt someone. They never hurt anyone seriously around him, so he took it for granted. However, Wanda's expression was only slightly short of murderous. He gulped.

"You stay here with Timmy," she ordered Cosmo. "I'll go to Chloe."

"Wait, who told you what?" Cosmo asked, confused. Wanda hissed, eyes flashing, and he cowered.

"I'll tell you later!" she snapped and disappeared with a pop. Perturbed, it distracted him for a second from his own difficulties. Then he remembered what had awoken him and shuddered, whimpering and rocking back and forth.

"What's got her all worked up?" he whispered. Tears fell thick from his eyelashes and he wiped at them stubbornly. Cosmo moved from behind him to thumb away his tears. Timmy had the strongest urge to hug Cosmo to his chest, but resisted it.

"What was your nightmare about?" Cosmo asked.

"I don't…" he hesitated. "You're not gonna tell anyone, are you?"

"Like who?" he asked, frowning. Timmy shrank down further, as if trying to turn into a bug that someone might overlook. His skin crawled and he bit back another whimper. When he glanced up, Cosmo looked highly concerned. It was enough to start him crying harder.

"I guess...you can tell Wanda...but don't tell Chloe, okay?" he whispered.

"What is it?" he asked and settled on the bed in front of him. He was absent his usual jokes, for which Timmy was thankful. He didn't think he could cope with it if Cosmo wasn't serious. This time, the whimper escaped and Cosmo hugged him. His lower lip quivered and he pressed his face against Cosmo's neck.

As Timmy slowly and painfully repeated his dream, Cosmo stilled and eventually pulled back to stare at him. Timmy swallowed hard, a lump in his throat, and stared at him.

"What?"

"Wanda and I told you that Lorenzo was bad news."

"It wasn't him!" he protested, although he had no idea who it could've been. "I didn't see anyone in that dream! But it felt so real…"

His godfather left this alone for the moment, for which Timmy was grateful. His next deep breath hitched onto a sob and he was ashamed of himself for latching onto Cosmo again. He was almost twelve. He should be past this. But the dream...it had terrified him. And he couldn't get the feelings out of his head or off his body.

Cosmo stroked his hair and lapsed into silence again. It was the longest time he'd gone without speaking and Timmy managed a weak laugh.

"Cat got your tongue?" he teased, though his heart wasn't really in it.

"I'm gonna have to have a long talk with Wanda when she gets back," Cosmo murmured. He continued stroking his hair, which was having an oddly soothing effect on him. Timmy closed his eyes and let Cosmo comfort him. He was afraid to return to sleep, afraid that the spectre might lurk and attack again. His teeth still chattered and he gritted them.

"Is Chloe...is Chloe having the same nightmares?" he ventured after a minute.

"I don't know," he replied in a way that told him two things. One, that Cosmo was lying and two, that he'd better not push any further. Also, that this could go both ways-if he pushed for information about Chloe, Chloe could do the same for him. And he didn't want her to pry into this.

"Why would someone do this? Why would they want to hurt us like this?"

"There are a lot of sick adults who wanna hurt kids," he said, his voice subdued. "It's like Vicky-they have fun when people are suffering. They wanna feel powerful."

"Why can't they just leave us alone?" he burst out and tears slipped down his cheeks. He tasted them on his tongue.

"Once we find out where they are, Wanda will make sure they can't touch you again," he promised. "We'll keep you safe."

"I don't feel safe right now…" he muttered.

"Do you want me to help you sleep?" he asked and Timmy swallowed hard, shaking his head.

"I don't know if I ever want to sleep again."

"Sure you do," he replied and, turning into a cat, nuzzled Timmy on the cheek. Timmy bit down hard to keep from sobbing again and hugged Cosmo kitty close. Tears fell into Cosmo's fur despite Timmy's best efforts to quell them. He was a miserable mess and he knew it.

"I can give you the best sleep of your life," he promised. "So far, that is. No more nightmares."

"What if he comes back?" he whispered. He was shaking.

"He won't come back tonight," he said confidently. Timmy didn't believe him. How could he? Shouldn't Cosmo and Wanda be protecting him from these nightmares in the first place?

"I wish he'd go away," he said heatedly and Cosmo shook his head.

"What?" he demanded.

"You can't wish away other faeries," he said. He hadn't even bothered to hold his wand up. Timmy's stomach clenched. So it was like that, was it? They were being hunted by a fairy. Or faeries, as the case may be, because there was no way it was the same faerie terrorizing him and Chloe.

He huddled in on himself and rested his chin on his knees. Cosmo kitty rubbed against his legs and Timmy's throat tightened. What good were his faeries if they couldn't protect him?

"What _can_ I do?" he asked plaintively.

"You can wish for no dreams," he suggested. "Or wait for Wanda to come back and come up with a better idea."

He gnawed at his lower lip with his formidable bucktooth. A sob hitched in his chest. "I wish I didn't remember that dream and that I was fast asleep!"

Cosmo held up his wand and his eyelids drooped. The sensation of being touched all over faded and he couldn't recall the shadowy figure lurking in the darkness. He lost his battle with consciousness and lapsed gratefully into good dreams, the kind that involved superheroes and no shortage of sweets. And if they seemed a little bittersweet, because his nightmare had been relegated to his subconscious, well, that was no concern of his.

Timmy felt it the moment that it happened. The sun came out, birds sang, and the rainbows flashed their colors once more. The atmosphere was joyous and magic burst from everywhere. Huddled in her corner, Chloe looked up, her Timmy's hand still on her wrist. He jumped to his feet, as did our Timmy.

"Woo-hoo! They did it!" he cheered.

"Patience, tiny Timmy Turner," Jorgen cautioned. "They have merely laid the groundwork for what is to come. However, alternate Timmy Turner who I wish gone from my sights, the necklace is now yours. Take it, yourself, Cosmo, and Poof and be gone!"

The necklace landed in Timmy's hands and before he had a chance to thank him, if indeed he was about to do that, faerie dust settled all over him. He found himself ejected rudely and brought somewhere else. It took several minutes for his vision to clear and when it did, he became aware of the necklace throbbing in his hands like a second heartbeat.

That had been...abrupt. He wasn't sure what to make of it. Jorgen hadn't wanted his interference and now that he'd helped, he no longer wanted him around. He guessed that was typical of Jorgen, but c'mon. He at least deserved a thank you for what he'd done. He could have not done it and somehow stolen the necklace from Wanda...assuming he survived that encounter. Okay, maybe not, because insane Wanda was scary.

At least this version of Dimmsdale was cheerful. It looked like normal, except he didn't recall that giant ivory tower in the city. Frowning, he turned to his godparent and godbrother. Cosmo was holding his hand out for the necklace and he hesitated to give it to him. Could Cosmo be trusted with Wanda's soul? Yes, he already possessed a sliver of it from their Bond, but he hadn't exactly done a stellar job with safeguarding her heart. And neither had Timmy.

Vicky was supposed to be the culprit in this universe. He set off toward the ivory tower and cars passed him by. Everything seemed mundane. There was nothing to indicate there was a power mad woman in charge of the world. Maybe their information was wrong. Maybe Vicky didn't control the planet with Wanda's magic.

Someone yanked him behind a tree and glowered at him. It took him a second to recognize the figure glaring back. She had her customary pigtails, purple glasses, and purple eyes. However, she wore camouflage and looked older, in her mid-teens. Her braces were gone, which was a mild improvement. She smacked him in the face and his attention switched back to her gaze instead of her figure, which was a vast improvement.

"Since you're younger than you're supposed to be, I'll take it that Cosmo and Wanda weren't able to save you," she remarked and he blinked.

"Save me? From what?" he asked. "Wait, how do you know about Cosmo and Wanda?"

"Everyone knows about Cosmo and Wanda," she said, rolling her eyes. "Vicky uses them to rule with an iron fist. She has Jorgen von Strangle doing her dirty work and Crocker is her errand boy. Any dissenters are killed immediately. That's what happened to you. You tried to rescue your godparents and— "she indicated a line across her throat.

And Vicky had part of his godmother's soul. All of his previous hope disappeared and popped like a balloon. Cosmo and Poof were hidden, disguised as silent birds on the branch above their heads. In Timmy's fist, the necklace continued to beat, as if in tandem with Wanda's heart. He felt sick.

"So…how do you feel about helping me topple a dictatorship and stealing back a necklace from Vicky that contains part of my godmother's soul?" he asked, fearing the answer.

"Are you insane?!" she cried.

"Is that a 'no'?" he replied.

"She killed your counterpart!" she said. "I always knew you were a few marbles short of a full set, Timmy, but this is ridiculous! You cannot just waltz in there and get what you want! She'll kill you!"

Timmy faltered. It didn't require an enormous leap of imagination to picture Vicky murdering him. Moreover, it didn't take much imagination to picture her abusing Cosmo and Wanda's powers while the faeries remained trapped. He glanced up at the tree and Tootie's eyes followed his. She cried out.

"You are insane. Are you trying to give her more ammunition? Did she brainwash you? Why would you bring another Cosmo and a fairy baby into this?" she cried in dismay.

"It's not like I knew what I was getting into before I showed up here," he protested. "And I have to keep them with me. Someone has to help me get Wanda's soul back."

Tootie studied him. He could tell by the look on her face that she thought he was crazy. That was fine. Timmy had, until recently, thought the same of her. However, he desperately needed her help. She was the only one he'd met so far who could assist him and she knew Vicky intimately. Plus, if Vicky's control was as rigid as she said, then it was only a matter of time before he found himself captured and brought to her. That could work in his advantage, but only if he didn't get killed first.

"C'mon," she said and yanked him after her. "It's too dangerous to talk outside. This is when the fairy sentries change their shift. Otherwise, we'd already be goners. We need to get underground now."

Trusting that she knew what she was doing, he permitted himself to be hauled afterward. Cosmo and Poof, mute and with the latter trembling, followed. Poof kept looking up at him with big purple eyes and Timmy's heart clenched.

"It'll be okay," he promised Poof, without having any idea if it would be. "I'll work everything out. I promise."

"You can't promise a thing like that," Tootie scoffed. She glanced at Poof. "Is he their son?"

Timmy nodded and she sighed again.

"If he's as powerful as they are, we're doomed."

Without further comment, she dragged him into an abandoned house, down the stairs, through a key combination locked door, and into a hallway. There they halted and she huffed, studying him.

"Even having your fairies here is a risk," she said. "But you're not going to give them up, are you?"

"And let them be captured by Vicky?" he cried. "Especially after what you said happened to Cosmo and Wanda here. Not to mention me."

"Don't use magic," she warned. "Vicky has detectors everywhere. And spies. We're pretty sure there are spies in our rebel group too."

"So, you're like the rebels against the Imperials, like in Star Wars?" he asked.

"No," she said flatly. "Also, you need to change. You're too conspicuous in that outfit. And as soon as Vicky gets wind of you being in the city, she'll want to grab you."

"You'll keep me safe, right?"

Tootie said nothing and he scowled. "Right?"

"I can't protect you forever," she said and glared. "Especially if your plan is to enter her stronghold and take her most precious possession. She's using it to help keep her fairies in line."

He must've had a blank look on his face because Tootie sighed.

"From what we've learned, the necklace is composed of a dark crystal that, if held by a light-sided or neutral creature, drives them insane. For someone like Vicky, who's already evil, it amplifies her evil," she said. "She was wearing it when she killed you."

He glanced down at the crystal he clutched and Tootie unfolded his fingers to scrutinize it.

"It appears to have no effect on you," she said. "Curious."

Timmy frowned. He thumbed the crystal and felt Tootie's gaze linger upon him.

"You loved them very much," she whispered. "You took their abduction very hard."

"I have to get Wanda's soul sliver back," he said, looking up at her. "You understand, don't you? I have to."

Tootie frowned back, contemplative. She said nothing for a few minutes and he regarded the necklace in his palm. Cosmo and Poof looked at it too and he felt their collective misery. Somewhere in that ivory tower was another piece of Wanda's soul and once the pieces were all reunited, she'd be alive again. Until then, she'd be in limbo.

"I understand," she said quietly. "And maybe this will atone for letting your counterpart die."

"You never said it was your fault!" He glared at her.

"I should have been there," she said, shaking her head. "I told him it was a bad idea and he went anyway. I wasn't there and he died. I could have protected him. I could have done something."

To his surprise, he found himself sympathizing with her. He could have done something to prevent Wanda's state. He could've stepped in and located her any time in the two months she'd been missing. His throat was tight and when he looked at her, he saw tears in her eyes.

"You know the feeling, don't you?"

It was a question, but he knew it was rhetorical. He nodded.

"I'll do what I can," she promised. "But I can't give you any guarantees."

He nodded again. "I'll do it one way or another."

"Or you'll die again," she said and her smile was sad. "I won't have another Timmy Turner's death on my head."

Wanda had told him once that children tended to be in love with their parents and their pets until they grew older, so she doubted Tootie was really in love with him. But the heartache on Tootie's face told a different story. He saw it mirrored on Cosmo's face, disguised as a mouse, as he looked up at the crystal in Timmy's hand. He made grabby motions at it and, reluctantly, Timmy crouched to give it to him. Cosmo clutched it to his chest and his eyes filled with tears.

"Poof, poof?" Poof murmured quietly. As the wish didn't activate, Timmy had to assume he was making a wordless inquiry into Cosmo's well-being.

"You might as well make yourself at home," she said and opened the final door, to reveal a vast computer room populated by some people he recognized, some he didn't. Chester, A.J., Sanjay, and Elmer manned computers. To his consternation, so did Trixie and Veronica.

"It's a big enterprise," Tootie explained quietly. She yanked off his trademark silly pink hat and, reaching into a closet nearby, plunked a camo hat on his head. Then she searched the closet, located clothes that looked about his size, and pointed him toward a bathroom off to the left to change. Cosmo and Poof followed wordlessly.

"We can pull this off, right, guys?" he asked.

Cosmo stubbornly hugged the crystal to his chest and didn't reply. Maybe the crystals were nullified once they returned to their rightful place? Or maybe he and Cosmo were immune? He didn't want an insane faerie, thank you very much. He had enough problems on his plate.

"Not really showing me any confidence, guys…"

He dressed quickly and left the bathroom to rejoin Tootie at the control center. Eyes followed him as he walked across the room toward the center console.

"So, uh, what are we doing?"

"We're making a supply run to the city," she said. "We'll have to plan another one soon; we're running out of medicine. And that's where you'll come in. It'll be your best chance to get into the citadel and confront Vicky. I just hope your two faeries will be a match for hers."

And if they weren't, he was screwed.


	11. Say When

Chapter Eleven: Say When

She was all right. She wasn't going to break down or lose her nerve. Cosmo and Wanda weren't answering her summons, but that was okay. They might be busy with Timmy. They might have other things on their plate. Wanda had looked pretty miserable before she and Timmy parted ways earlier. Possibly the fairies had gone off to have alone time so Cosmo could calm Wanda down. Everything was fine.

Ms. Clawdite had sent AJ out of the room on some errand and it was just her and the teacher, alone. Again, the door remained closed and again, goosebumps broke out. She told herself she was being foolish. Nothing was going to happen. Her stomach clenched and she bit back the urge to ask to be excused too. Her heart hammered.

"It seems a shame we can't spend more time together," Ms. Clawdite said and Chloe's gaze locked onto the necklace. She glanced into it and thought she saw pink eyes staring back. Wanda? No, that couldn't be right.

"We could always talk during lunch," she offered. "You know, with other people around."

"That's not what I meant," she scoffed. She laid a hand on Chloe's shoulder and squeezed. "You know, in the short time I've known you, I've grown rather fond of you."

"I...I have too," she lied. She resisted the temptation to jerk away and rub her shoulder. She'd never been in this situation before, where she had to push away a teacher. It didn't sit well with her. How could she deny an authority figure?

"AJ won't be back for a while," she purred. Releasing Chloe's shoulder, she grabbed a chair and sat beside her. Again, Chloe's gaze fell to the necklace and her teacher held it up for her to inspect.

"I expect you're wondering about this?" she said and the blonde girl nodded.

"Ah, but we'd have to be much closer for me to tell you," she whispered. "However, I believe I may entrust you with that information some day soon."

"What's so special about it?" she asked. She was whispering too and she wasn't sure why.

"It's not the necklace itself, but what's inside it. The precious, precious one might say 'magic' inside of it."

Chloe's heart pounded and when someone knocked on the door, she jumped out of her seat and dove at the knob before she had a chance to explain herself. She yanked open the door and Timmy stood, clutching pink and green books, on the other side. Without thinking, she pushed him away and shut the door behind her.

"I'm so glad you're here," she said. Her face was flushed and she was having problems calming herself down. "And you've brought my books. Why weren't they in my bag to begin with?"

"They, uh, had a little problem getting there," he answered. "What the heck is going on in there?"

"I don't know," she hissed. "But when I looked at Ms. Clawdite's necklace, I saw pink eyes staring back at me. The same shade as Wanda's!"

Timmy frowned. "That's weird."

"You're telling me!" she exclaimed. She grabbed him by the shirt front. "Don't make me go back in there. I'll go back to Crocker. I'll do anything. Don't make me stay alone with her."

"Hey, Timmy," AJ called and Chloe loosened her grip on Timmy. She feigned nonchalance, though she knew AJ didn't buy it. Timmy glanced at her briefly before going over to talk to his friend and ignore her. Tootie's words rang in her head again and she grimaced. It couldn't be true.

The door swung open behind her and Ms. Clawdite beamed at them.

"Hello, Timmy Turner," she said cheerfully. "Chloe, AJ? It's time for class."

"Sorry, Ms. Clawdite," AJ said and bid Timmy goodbye. Chloe shot Timmy one last desperate look before grabbing the books from his hands and dashing inside the classroom. But the books wouldn't stay in her hands. They vanished, presumably returning to Timmy. She looked through the door window at Timmy as he walked away, leaving her with who knew what.

Trembling, she walked back to her seat. Ms. Clawdite commenced the lesson like nothing had happened and, from afar, Chloe couldn't distinguish the pink eyes in the crystal. She knew she hadn't imagined it, though. Something or someone was trapped in the crystal. Maybe she needed to free them. But how could she disobey an authority figure to rescue someone when she didn't even know what she was doing?

This problem occupied her throughout the period and toward lunch, where she again refrained from her usual charity work. The people she had trained to handle it were doing a good job, from their reports. And she needed the alone time to come up with a plan. Maybe she could enlist Tootie. No, wait, that was stupid. Even if Tootie suspected something, she'd never help her.

She felt guilty for overlooking her charity work. Eating with Crocker counted, but he didn't notice her distraction. She couldn't get her mind off the eyes in the crystal. And Cosmo and Wanda weren't going to come anywhere near her while she was sitting by Crocker. They had a sense of self-preservation.

"And then Mother has the nerve to tell me that I'm using the shower too much," he huffed. "I can't help it if my hump gets dirty!"

Maybe she should forgo lunch and skip straight to her charity work, even though she had someone to cover for her. She nodded politely at Crocker, which was all the encouragement he needed to keep rambling. Her gaze roved the cafeteria and hooked onto Ms. Clawdite, who was gripping the crystal in her hand and squeezing it. Something about that gave her the chills.

Crocker followed her gaze. "Yeah, that's the new teacher. I don't like her."

"You don't?" she asked, possibly the first thing she'd contributed to the conversation since she sat down. "Why not?"

"She creeps me out," he confessed. "There's something unwholesome about her and from me, that's saying something."

"We should give her the benefit of the doubt," she argued, even if her heart wasn't in it. She didn't think Ms. Clawdite deserved even a glimmer of a benefit.

"I suppose…" he said. "But you're a better person than I am."

"You could be a good person too."

"No, I couldn't," he said. "I'm too full of hatred and malice, especially towards Turner."

At this, his gaze hooked onto Timmy and if looks could kill, he'd be dead twice over. Timmy shuddered, hunching closer to his friends. From across the room, Tootie shot Chloe a meaningful look and her stomach turned over. She had no appetite. Still, she put on a brave front.

"Why do you blame Timmy for everything, anyway?" she asked in a would-be casual voice.

"Because I have a sneaking suspicion that he's behind every miserable moment in my life," Crocker snarled. "I don't know how and I don't know why, but he ruined my life and I'm going to make him pay for it."

"Maybe you're worrying over nothing," she said and offered him a beatific smile. What she wanted to say, but didn't dare, was that perhaps Crocker was paranoid and Timmy had nothing to do with it. However, she wouldn't be so blunt and hurt his feelings.

"Is it me or is Ms. Clawdite staring at you?" he interrupted and Chloe blinked. The teacher was indeed scrutinizing her in a way that made Chloe feel naked and she shivered, excusing herself. She didn't wish to discuss this further with Crocker, especially since she had begun to suspect Ms. Clawdite was more than she seemed.

She headed for Timmy's table and, as one, his friends raised their heads like they scented blood in the water and glowered at her. They went so far as to spread out at the table to prevent her from sitting there. Oh, honestly. Was she going to give them cooties? Timmy didn't think so. From across the room, Tootie was laughing at her and not troubling to keep her voice down. Chloe stiffened, her resolve hardening.

"Timmy, I need to speak to you," she said.

"Timmy's busy right now," AJ said.

"Why do you not try when you are in class together and sitting side by side?" Sanjay suggested. The question might have been innocuous but for the group glare. She gritted her teeth and ignored it, as well as Tootie's mockery.

"Timmy?" she persisted.

"What is it, Wendy Worrywart?" he asked and didn't bother to turn around. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it can wait."

Chloe swallowed her pride. This didn't immediately concern Timmy, she supposed. And if he was going to be such a jerk about it, then she didn't need to trouble him right away. Still...she was unable to let it go. That was one of her failings, that she couldn't release something even if it hurt her. Or, perhaps she ought to say, _especially_ if it hurt her.

"I'm getting tired of you blowing me off," she huffed.

"Shouldn't you be used to that?" Chester shot back. "The blowing part, that is."

Chloe went beet red. Timmy looked baffled, up until someone whispered in his ear and then he too turned red. She had forgotten that boys could be horribly immature. It would've been nice, though, to get some sort of warning before someone made a ribald joke like that.

"I can see where I'm not wanted," she said and, before she had a chance to listen to any more remarks, she turned on her heel and walked toward the door. To her surprise, Timmy jumped up to follow her. Tootie had stopped laughing and was watching them closely.

"I'm sorry about that," he said. "They kinda got the impression that you're my girlfriend."

Timmy? Apologizing? Was the sky falling? Still, he looked sufficiently uneasy enough that she felt bad and she offered him a smile.

"That doesn't excuse their behavior," she responded. "But I appreciate it. Thanks."

"What's so important, Susie Stress-out?" he said. They had headed toward the hallway to speak in relative privacy. She noticed Cosmo and Wanda were absent and fretted. She had wanted to talk to them too. Her stomach twisted into a knot.

"I think...I think Ms. Clawdite might be Azalea."

Once the words were out, she wished she could take them back. They hung there in the air like a malignant odor. Timmy stared and she wrung her hands. Before she could say anything more, like elaborate on her suspicions, the cafeteria door opened and the woman in question walked up to them. Chloe yelped, jumping closer to Timmy. This close, Timmy could hardly fail to notice her necklace.

"You are smarter than I gave you credit for," Ms. Clawdite said and smiled. "And I already thought you were intelligent."

"So you _are_ Azalea," Chloe breathed. Timmy flung up a defensive arm as if to shield Chloe.

"I'm certain I don't know what you're talking about," she responded smoothly.

"Are you or aren't you?" he huffed.

"Such impatience," she said and wagged a finger at them. "All good things come in time, Timmy. Just wait and see."

She turned to Chloe. "By the way, you ran out of the classroom before without asking permission. One might think you were trying to avoid me. But that couldn't be the case, could it?"

Sweat trickled down her neck. She was alternatively frightened of having disobeyed an authority figure and petrified of what Ms. Clawdite might do. She wished she could borrow Timmy's audacity. Steeling herself, she smiled brightly at the teacher and tried to ignore her heart pitter-pattering in her chest.

"I'll be holding a mandatory after-school session," she continued. "You might consider it detention, just for you, Ms. Carmichael."

"Detention?" Chloe echoed.

"She never gets detention," Timmy scoffed. "What the heck could she have done that was so bad?"

"I'll decide later," Ms. Clawdite said with a wicked smile. "Until then, Chloe."

She squeezed the crystal about her neck and those pink eyes flashed. Chloe's stomach plummeted and she latched onto Timmy. It was strange for him to be her anchor, but he wasn't losing his mind around Ms. Clawdite and she needed someone stable right now. She couldn't possibly have made a bad decision or done something wrong. If she had, that would send her spiralling into a panic attack. She wasn't wrong. She wasn't.

Ms. Clawdite walked away, leaving the children alone.

"You're hurting me," he said and she loosened her grip, but didn't remove her hand.

"Did you see the eyes?" she begged.

"Yeah, I did," he said, his voice subdued. "Cosmo and Wanda should go with you to detention."

"That's the thing," she said. "They can't enter the room. When you gave them to me earlier, they vanished."

"Wait...you mean you haven't seen them since I showed up earlier?" he asked and she shook her head.

"They never came back."

"Then...where are they?"

The question hung ominously in the air and in response, Timmy shrugged, looking solemn. Chloe's stomach felt like it might revolt. The lunch bell rang, signaling recess, and she released him. She could lose herself in mindless charity work. She could, but she was certain she'd be worrying about their fairies the entire time.

-

They reappeared in Vicky's house and Timmy did a double-take.

"Guys? I didn't wish for this," he protested.

"You wished you were back before Vicky got the necklace," Cosmo reminded him. "That's where it took us."

"But...why?"

"I dunno," Cosmo said. Timmy huffed. He didn't know why he'd bothered asking Cosmo in the first place. All the fairies had transformed into something inconspicuous, which left Timmy as the sore thumb. He raised his fist as if to knock on the door and then decided against it, shouldering the door open instead.

Vicky's aura of evil wasn't present, so he took it to mean she was out. It was odd how he could tell just by entering a house whether Vicky was menacing it or not. Tootie, however, was there. He could hear her talking indistinctly. Shrugging, feeling like there had to be a reason he'd been propelled here and in this time, he headed up the stairs toward Tootie's room.

"Stop right there!" Vicky's voice echoed and, just as Timmy came within sight of Tootie, the faeries with guns, wands, and bazookas reappeared, filling the hallway and Tootie's room. Tootie was holding the crystal in her hand-Vicky had gotten it from her? But how? Why?

"That necklace is my property," Vicky snarled. "Hand it over, twerpette."

Tootie froze, scanning the area. Her gaze settled upon Timmy and she sighed. He sure hoped she had some plan of getting them out of here. Yet the instant she moved, the guns sighted on her too. Tootie's voice quavered.

"What are you going to do? Shoot me from the future?" Tootie challenged, which Timmy both admired and thought was stupid. "If you shoot me, I'll vaporize the crystal."

"No!" Timmy yelped. He didn't know what would happen if he didn't assemble all of the slivers, but he had a feeling it'd be like an incomplete puzzle. All the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't put Wanda back together again…

"And if I don't shoot you, I won't get my crystal," Vicky mused. Her disembodied voice echoed strangely in the hall and Timmy shuddered.

"It's not yours," Tootie said. "It belongs to Timmy."

"Like hell it does!" Vicky scoffed. "What did the twerp ever do to deserve it? And anyway, he doesn't deserve his fairy godparents either, which is why I took them!"

The future Cosmo and Wanda, who had disguised themselves as mice, likewise winced. They looked like they wanted to argue, but didn't dare speak and expose themselves. Poof, meanwhile, looked bewildered and his Cosmo's gaze was on the crystal necklace swinging in Tootie's hand like a pendulum.

"If you give me the necklace now, Vicky will never get it in the future," he said hurriedly. "And that means she'll never kill me in the future, so you won't have to feel guilty about my dying. So just gimme the necklace!"

"Or I could kill you now, take the other Cosmo and the baby, and do whatever I want," Vicky said. "Hmm. Decisions, decisions. I wonder what I'll choose."

Tootie edged closer to Timmy and one of the fairies blasted a warning shot at her feet. She cried out, jumping the distance between them until they were about a foot apart. He could feel the necklace pulsating in her hand, could practically hear it calling to him to be joined with the other one. It was so close…

One of the fairies lunged for the necklace and Tootie threw it up into the air. Timmy grabbed it and the fairy tackled him to the floor. He pressed the necklace to his chest and felt it pounding there, a second heartbeat. The fairy was attempting to wrestle it out of his hands.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked, struggling. "Why obey Vicky? It's not like life is any better under her command than Jorgen's. And why would you want to be an evil woman's henchman? Wouldn't you rather be happy?"

"Don't listen to him!" Vicky snarled and the shock collar went off. This close to it, it burned Timmy's neck and seared through the shirt. He cried out and Tootie whacked the fairy off with a broom. He straightened and stood painfully. He thought he might have third degree burns on his neck and back.

"Thanks," he said sheepishly.

"Don't mention it," she said.

"Cosmo! I wish there was a forcefield!" he bellowed and it went up, separating him, Tootie, the two Cosmos, Wanda, and Poof from their adversaries. The fairies proceeded to blast at the forcefield, but it held. For now. Timmy wasn't too confident in it lasting long.

"Ooh, gimme!" Cosmo said and Timmy handed it over. The necklace bonded with the first and the crystal grew, doubling in size. The second chain vanished. The crystal was probably about as thick as his pinky now. It thrummed and the air about it pulsated.

"If Cosmo has the crystal now, and it's melted into the other one, that means Vicky never gets it," Timmy said. As he said this, the fairies pointing weapons at them vanished and Vicky howled only to be cut off. The forcefield disappeared too and his heartbeat slowed. That was close.

"But why did Tootie have it in the first place?" Wanda queried.

"I know it's hard to believe," Tootie said, scuffing her sneaker on the floor. "But I was friends with your godparents. I found the crystal and was safeguarding it for you, but you never came for it. Oh, I guess it doesn't matter now that it's safe and sound with you."

"Woo-hoo! We found two pieces out of five!" Timmy called. "We're awesome! Who's next on our list?"

Before Cosmo had a chance to answer that, they were wrenched away again. Damn, Timmy was not going to get used to that. The dust settled and they reappeared, but it wasn't Dimmsdale. In fact, Timmy wasn't sure where it was. He didn't recognize the town. And Cosmo and Poof were gone.

"Guys?" he called. "Uh, guys? Where are you?"

He spun about in a circle. He was standing in a park and around him, women were rocking babies, children were playing, dogs were fetching frisbees, and everything appeared idyllic. There was no sign of either of his fairies. Something leaden dropped into his stomach and he spun about again.

"Cosmo? Poof?" he called.

Well, crud. If he'd lost Poof, that other universe Wanda was totally going to kill him. Not to mention if he'd lost his Cosmo, then he had no source of magic. Plus, the crystals had gone missing. If someone had captured his fairies, they also had two fifths of Wanda's soul. One half if you counted the part Cosmo possessed. Oh, triple crud.

Okay, this might call for some more flavorful language. Shit. He was fucked, wasn't he?

At the risk of making a fool out of himself, he refrained from calling out any further. His heart pounded and he searched high and low. He even checked the baby carriages, which earned him reproving looks from the babies' mothers. Every time he thought he saw them, it turned out to be an illusion and his heart, which had slowed down after they'd gotten away from Vicky, kicked into high gear again.

Someone was seriously thinking he could rescue Wanda's soul sliver without his fairies? Especially without the parts of Wanda's soul Cosmo already bore? He was trying hard not to panic, but he was freaking out. He was racing around the park path now and whispering frantically to himself.

No, no, the powers that be couldn't have done this to him. They couldn't have left him stranded and without magic. That was the whole point of Cosmo and Poof, to help him. And so Cosmo could fix what he'd broken in his relationship with Wanda. How was any of that supposed to happen if they couldn't find each other?

Not panicking, not panicking. He was alone in a strange universe, in a strange town, and he didn't know anyone here or anything about this world. He spun about in another circle and realized that he couldn't hear anything. No dogs barked, no babies cried, and no children shrieked in mirth. The world was utterly silent.

"That's creepy," he said and the words fell like dead weight. He raced over to the nearest couple and waved at them. "Uh, hi. My name is Timmy Turner. Can you tell me where the heck I am?"

They stared at him like he spoke a foreign language. He tried speaking louder and they made gestures at each other. Sign language? Oh, crap, did everyone in this world speak sign language? He didn't know the first thing about that. Hell, he barely spoke English, let alone anything else.

"Um, hello. I'm talking to you!"

They stared at him blankly. The blonde haired woman tucked her hair behind her ear and it was all plugged up. It was like someone had had the idea of an ear, but not the knowledge of what it was used for. He was bypassing freaking out and heading toward hyperventilating. He really could have used some help right about now, like Cosmo and Poof.

The woman patted him on the head and then signaled quickly, too quickly for Timmy to decipher even if he'd had the faintest inkling of what she was saying. Then the couple moved away and even he recognized the symbol for crazy. Hey! He wasn't crazy! It was this world and these people who couldn't hear anything! This utterly silent world where he couldn't communicate with anyone and Cosmo and Poof were missing.

"Well, fuck," he said and he was the only one to hear it.

-

This was the first time Chloe had ever had detention and she walked toward it like a man walking toward the hangman's noose. Timmy kept making fun of her for it, despite her telling him that she was almost positive Ms. Evanna Clawdite was secretly Azalea. Cosmo and Wanda hadn't returned, adding to her trepidation. If it wouldn't be practically unthinkable, she might have skipped. But how could she do that? She hugged herself as she stopped before the door. Inhaling, she braced herself and opened it.

A door had appeared on the far side of the room where the projector screen normally hung. Baffled, she turned and Ms. Clawdite, normally raven haired, had black hair with green streaks in it. A crown hung over her head and Chloe gasped, reaching for the doorknob to let herself back in, only to discover that it had locked behind her. Adrenaline coursed through her.

"Yes, Chloe," Azalea said and grinned wickedly. "I am Azalea Fairbanks. I am the fairy your godmother warned you about. I'm pleased to finally make your acquaintance without all that nasty subterfuge."

She opened her mouth and it closed for her, her lips vanishing. Terrified, she felt her face and realized that there wasn't any indication there had ever been lips there. She tried speaking anyway and the sounds came out muffled and indecipherable. Desperate, she shook the doorknob, but it didn't budge. She backed up into the door and hammered on the glass.

"Clever," Azalea said and held up her wand. Wood grew over the window and Chloe's hand lowered against her will. Unbidden, she turned back toward the intimidating fairy woman smirking. Her heart beat like a jackhammer. She couldn't summon her fairies. She couldn't call for help. To her horror, she moved toward Azalea like a puppet and she had no control over her limbs.

"I would expect no less from the second smartest child in this school," she said and then laughed at the stricken look at Chloe's face. "You couldn't possibly be the smartest kid or you wouldn't have come here to what was obviously a trap."

Her fingers itched to grab her cell phone and Azalea's gaze went to her pocket.

"Ah, yes, I'd forgotten about those damn things," she said and waved her wand. Chloe's phone sailed through the air and Azalea stomped it into pieces. "Wouldn't want Timmy calling you. Or Cosmo and Wanda getting ideas."

She should have brought someone with her. Or taken the punishment from skipping detention. Was there punishment besides more detention? She felt like a cornered animal and she couldn't even whimper. Her body was no longer hers, only her mind.

"It doesn't matter if you'd brought Timmy along or someone else," she said, as if reading Chloe's mind. "It would've come to the same end. And if you'd not arrived today, you'd merely be postponing the inevitable.

"Now, come. We have so much to see and do."

Crooking her finger, she indicated Chloe follow her, as if she had a choice. The door opened and Chloe descended into what fresh hell she knew not. In her mind, she screamed for help, but it was only in her mind that someone heard. Her hands shook, but she couldn't move them. Her teeth chattered and she was powerless to stop it. She was entering full blown panic mode and the worst thing was that she had no idea how to help herself. Her best hope was Timmy and who knew how long it'd take for him to realize something was wrong and go after her?

For all she knew, it could be two months. She moaned in her head. If she could have thrown up, she would have. Instead, her mental voice darted about, thoughts racing but leading nowhere. Heaven help her, Timmy was her last hope if Cosmo and Wanda couldn't hear her and Azalea had prevented them from reaching her.


	12. Matches to Paper Dolls

Chapter Twelve: Matches to Paper Dolls

Chloe descended stairs that seemed endless. They spiraled downward and whenever she thought they had settled onto the floor, there was another flight. The air grew colder and more moist the further they went and her stomach somersaulted. She thought she felt her phone vibrate, but it was a phantom sensation. Even if Timmy was trying to reach her, which she thought unlikely, he wasn't going to get through.

She couldn't believe she'd fallen for such an obvious trap. Yet if she hadn't fallen now, she would've succumbed eventually. That didn't make her feel much better. In her mind, she kept calling for Cosmo and Wanda. It was her last refuge and her spirits sank. Timmy didn't know or care what had befallen her, Cosmo and Wanda were who knew where, and her parents were abroad again. And she didn't have any other friends.

Well, maybe she could call on Poof, if she could speak. She didn't imagine that Azalea would be giving her back the power of speech any time soon. Or the power to move her own arms and legs.

After descending five flights, they finally reached the bottom. They arrived at a padlocked door and Azalea put in the code. The door swished open and they entered an underground cavern that, to Timmy, would've looked familiar. They bypassed the main computer room and entered small living quarters, which were separated from the computer room with dangling beads. As they entered, Lorenzo materialized out of one of the two rooms and smiled at Chloe.

"You'll have Timmy to play with soon," Lorenzo reassured her. Chloe's stomach churned again and she swallowed, fighting the urge to vomit. "Or should I say, I will have Timmy to play with soon."

Her skin crawled. She remembered her last nightmare and how vivid it had been. She also remembered Cosmo and Wanda warning her that something similar had befallen Timmy and not necessarily in the dream department. If it weren't for Azalea controlling her, she might have thrown up anyway. Bile rose in her throat and she choked on it, prompting the fairy woman to pat her on the back. She shivered in revulsion.

"Deep breaths," Azalea advised, as though this were possible. Chloe would have shot her a dirty look, had she the capacity to do so. "You'll find it quite enjoyable, once you start it. The taste of pussy is quite exquisite."

She choked again and Azalea had to hold her wand up to prevent her from vomiting in her mouth. Azalea guided her toward another bedroom and pushed her inside. It was unnecessary-she wouldn't have been able to resist-but she thought the woman got off on the power. Azalea cocked her head at her curiously and then held up her wand to unseal Chloe's mouth.

Chloe gasped, relearning to breathe through both nose and mouth. Was she going to let her speak?

"I do grow weary of the sound of my own voice," she admitted. "Come now. You must have something to say."

"Cosmo! Wanda!" she said.

"Anything but that…" she said and clapped a hand over her mouth, but it was too late. Fairy dust descended and Azalea growled, producing a butterfly net. Cosmo and Wanda zoomed in to grab her and Azalea flung the net over all three of them. The problem, however, was that the net wasn't large enough. Wanda escaped and blasted Azalea in the face. Growling, Azalea released the net and Cosmo and Chloe went free.

"What did you think would happen?" Chloe snapped. Her mouth was the only thing she had any power over. She was shaking still.

"Lorenzo! A little help!" she called. Cosmo and Wanda grabbed her to teleport out of there. Azalea snarled, hitting all three of them with a magical bolt that slammed them into the wall. Cosmo and Wanda recovered quickly, brandishing their wands.

They whirled when the anti-fairy appeared, holding up a wand and growling at them. They snarled back and Chloe could practically hear the showdown music. Azalea smiled then and pulled Chloe toward her. She held her wand against Chloe's throat.

"You have two choices. Either you leave or I hurt her," she said. "I have plans for her, but I'll be sure to leave those parts of her body intact."

Lorenzo blasted Wanda, who hadn't been expecting it. She went flying and crashed into the ceiling. Dazed, she fell back down in time for Lorenzo to bounce her around. Chloe's gaze went up and down as Wanda received more bumps and bruises. Some of the bumps acquired matted sparkling blood. Chloe hadn't known before that faeries bled sparkling blood. She hadn't wanted to know.

"Leave my wife alone!" Cosmo cried and arrested Lorenzo's wand movement. In retaliation, the wand heated against Chloe's neck and electricity coursed through her. She screamed, falling to her knees. Azalea yanked her back up by her hair and returned the wand to her neck.

"Think before you act, Cosmo," she cautioned. "Because Lorenzo will kill Wanda. And I will electrocute Chloe. I'll electrocute her into unconsciousness and then rouse her again only to hurt her. Make your next move carefully."

"Don't worry about me," Wanda cried. "Rescue Chloe!"

Azalea laughed cruelly. She was watching Wanda careen off the ceiling and into the floor. Aghast, Chloe watched her godmother crash repeatedly. Lorenzo was chuckling too.

"Leave her alone!" Chloe demanded. "You can hurt me, but leave my friends alone!"

"Think you can handle that?" Azalea said, smirking. "Let me do whatever I want with Chloe and you two go free."

"Absolutely not," Wanda said through what had to be a mind-numbing headache. Lorenzo ceased and she collapsed, panting, onto the floor. Her pink hair was thoroughly matted with blood and Cosmo whimpered, flying over to her. Lorenzo snorted and Chloe felt sick again. She yearned to run over to Wanda too, but her legs weren't working.

"I know what you want for her and it'll be over my dead body," she snarled.

"That can be arranged," Lorenzo said.

"No," Azalea said, considering this for a minute. "That won't do. If one of them perishes, Jorgen will find out and he won't stop until he tracks us down. It'd be like shoving a firework in his face. We'll have to leave them alive."

She said this as though it were a great hardship.

"He'll find out if you hurt me too," Chloe threatened.

"Not until after the fact," Azalea replied smugly. She pressed the wand against her neck with one hand and caressed Chloe's thigh with the other. Although dazed, Wanda snarled, pointing her wand at the duo. Unfortunately, her hand trembled and Cosmo had to support her. Her legs threatened to crumple beneath her and her wings fluttered madly.

"And not until much, much later."

"Get your hands off my goddaughter," Wanda growled.

"Yeah, what she said!" Cosmo snapped. "Chloe's ours, not yours!"

"You don't use her in the right ways," Azalea purred. "Don't worry. I'll abuse her in all the right ways."

Cosmo and Wanda roared as one, but they didn't dare move. They were at a standstill. If they attacked, Azalea would make do on her threat. If they didn't, Azalea would get away with holy hell. Should Chloe call Jorgen? Would he even come? She'd never tried it before.

"Don't get any ideas," she growled. "We don't need to add anyone to this party."

"Jorgen!" she cried and paid for it as lights flashed before her eyes. Pain rushed through her body and she felt boneless, dissolved into sheer agony. She whimpered and then screamed as it escalated.

When she was able to breathe again, she simply waited to recover. There was no fairy cloud dust heralding Jorgen's arrival, nor had the fairy instructor appeared. Azalea and Lorenzo breathed easier, but Cosmo and Wanda looked panicked. In that moment, however, Azalea's wand hand had lowered to Chloe's chest, where it lingered near her heart.

"Guys," she whispered. Her voice cracked. "Go to Timmy. I'll be fine."

"We can't just leave you here!" Wanda objected.

"Yeah, Timmy's not the one in danger-you are!" Cosmo added.

"But there's nothing you can do about it," Azalea countered. "Unless you enjoy seeing your goddaughter in pain?"

"Please," she begged. "Go to Timmy. Protect him."

"No," Wanda said and looked torn. She knew that the instant she and Cosmo left, Chloe would be molested. However, this couldn't last forever.

"Make a wish," Azalea breathed. "Go ahead. Try to best me."

Chloe thought fast. The only thing she could imagine was telling Cosmo and Wanda to protect Timmy, so he didn't fall into the same trap. However, that wouldn't help her get out of this. And she wasn't sure she could depend on Timmy to rescue her.

She could make any wish in the world. So why were none coming to mind?

"If you make any wish that involves Jorgen, I will blast you before you can finish the sentence," she whispered in her ear. "I promise."

"I wish I were made of rubber!" she cried and Wanda's lips twisted toward a smile. She and Cosmo held up their wands and granted their wish. Azalea snarled, evidently not thinking the same way Chloe had. Her heart pounded, but she was temporarily safe.

She debated wishing they were back at the house, but that wouldn't work while Azalea still had her grip on her. She'd end up transported with them. Therefore, the only alternative was…

"I wish we were in Fairy World!" she called. Their wands raised again, they teleported into Fairy World, whereupon Wanda collapsed, passing out. She recalled Wanda telling her once that transporting a human to Fairy World took a lot of magic and if she was already strained beyond endurance, it wouldn't end well. Cosmo scooped her up and Azalea snarled. They were in the middle of a random street in Fairy World-Chloe should've been more specific.

"It's been a while since I've been in Fairy World," Lorenzo mused. "It's nice to see some things haven't changed."

"Shut up!" Azalea hissed and waved her wand, but it deflated.

"Having problems?" Cosmo said smugly.

"Just a temporary setback," she replied. "Lorenzo! Do something!"

"Definitely cleverer than Timmy…" he mused. "Timmy would never have thought of that. And as you wish, my dear Azalea."

He waved his wand and they reappeared inside Fairy World armory. He looked baffled, Azalea irate, and it dawned on her that since it took a lot of magic to transport there, it'd probably require a lot of magic to move back, which Lorenzo and Azalea didn't have.

She was beginning to plan a counterattack when Lorenzo produced something she'd never seen before. In his hands, it appeared to be a brown rod, but it sucked the magic out of her fairies. Both went wan, Lorenzo brandished his wand once more, and they reappeared back where they'd started. Now Cosmo and Wanda were both unconscious, the magic drain too much to bear.

"I must say," Azalea mused. "That worked out far better than I could have hoped for. I am so grateful for your assistance."

She released Chloe at last and kissed Lorenzo on the cheek and then on the mouth. "I'm starting to think I ought to revise my policy on who gets my special favors."

She might've foiled Azalea's plans to electrocute her, but she remained immobile. And now her only hope of rescue was being scooped up into a butterfly net and then locked inside a cage. Chloe's heart sank. Now her only chance rested with Timmy.

Azalea reversed Cosmo and Wanda's wish with aplomb thanks to that suspicious looking brown rod that looked like a small baton. Chloe sagged to the floor.

"And soon, we'll have a complete set," Lorenzo remarked. A malicious grin spread across his face and it was terrible to behold.

"Yes," Azalea said, glancing at the unconscious fairies in their box. "I do think we'll make them watch."

-

He couldn't ask for help, because he could neither understand nor be understood. He couldn't summon his fairies. Somewhere in this universe, someone held the key to Wanda's soul sliver and he had to find them without knowing the way or any assistance. Oh, no, this wasn't going to be difficult _at all_.

He supposed he might as well pick a random direction and see where it led him. He held up the scepter, which he still had though he'd forgotten about it, and, to his shock, it tugged at him toward the northeast. It worked in another universe? He thought it'd only bring him to Cosmo and Wanda in that particular world. Or maybe it was directing him toward his Cosmo and Poof? He shouldn't question it.

Of course, there was the chance someone had tampered with it and it was responding to that, but he preferred not to contemplate that. He was at the scepter's mercy.

Unlike in the universe where he'd discovered it, this time he didn't pass unnoticed. He supposed it was a bit strange for a ten year old boy to walk around with a scepter held out at arm's length. He tried lowering it, but it continued tugging at him. People were remarking about it, but he had no idea what they were saying. How could a whole world be deaf? He was so confused.

He walked past a library and suddenly, a wave of sound threatened to bring him to his knees. All the noise that hadn't been present before rematerialized. Cars rushed past him, people were talking and laughing, electronics buzzed, and he was overwhelmed. It reminded him of when he'd wished he could read minds and then everyone had bombarded him with their thoughts. He'd been overloaded.

Curious, he stepped back over the threshold and all the sounds ceased. Back and forth. Noise, no noise. Sound, no sound. He wasn't sure which he preferred more. In a world without sound, people had to gesticulate to indicate meaning. But in a world with sound, everything was so loud.

At least in a world with sound, he could communicate with someone. But he couldn't just walk up to someone and ask them if they knew where his fairies were. Although he assumed that it wouldn't matter as much if he exposed knowledge of fairies, he had to assume the same basic rules applied in this universe as his-if he told everyone who his fairies were, he'd lose them.

In the meanwhile, he had the scepter and that strange pocket universe without sound. When he walked a few more paces away, the world vanished as if it had never been. What the heck? Perplexed and unsettled, he headed further away and found himself on Dimmsdale's outskirts. Relieved, he headed into the city.

He supposed he ought to start with the usual suspects and figure out where he was going from there. The mystery of the pocket universe would remain.

*

The further he went in Dimmsdale, the less things felt normal. Maybe he'd been so relieved to find sound that he'd neglected to notice the little things, like the general absence of children. Again? Those children that he discovered tended to cluster together and shot him looks as if he were the enemy. Adults went about their business as usual, save for the furtive glances they shot him and other strangers.

The scepter unerringly pointed him toward the school, which prompted him to groan. Hadn't he suffered enough without having to return to school too? Let's see. He'd retrieved Wanda's soul from Tootie's room, taken it back from another Wanda in Fairy World...eh, maybe he was due to storm through his school. A sharp whistle cut through the air and he looked up.

A giant fairy net covered the school. It cut off on the front lawn, but it was enough for Timmy to get a very bad feeling about this. Was Doombringer the one who possessed Wanda's soul sliver in this universe? She was much more competent at hunting fairies than Crocker. And if she had Cosmo and Poof, she could have easily killed them and mounted their wings and crowns.

His head spun and he stopped beside a street sign before he vomited. No. He hadn't come here only to lose his godfather and godbrother. He was going to succeed, even if he had no idea how. And even if it'd only been a fluke that had saved him from Doombringer before.

But if Doombringer was in the school with Cosmo and Poof, and the school had a giant butterfly net over it...then no one could perform magic. He hadn't relied upon it in his non-existent plan, but knowing that there was no magic to be had didn't improve his odds. Maybe babies were immune to the effects of butterfly nets? No...he couldn't be so fortunate.

The school's front doors were open, because of course they were. It was like a ghost town, though, and wherever he went, he found empty rooms and abandoned classes. He paced the school three times and still didn't find any sign of Doombringer. Or Crocker, for that matter. He was wary of drawing attention to himself by calling out for anyone. And if Doombringer really was here, she wouldn't have told him anyway.

As he paced, he attempted to construct a plan, anything that might help him. How had she captured Cosmo and Poof so efficiently, before he'd even entered this universe? Argh, he wanted to know, but knowing wouldn't help the outcome. It was just a distracting niggling thought that grated at his nerves.

He discovered he'd wandered into his classroom and blanched when he saw the walls adorned with fairy crowns and wings attached to plaques. Each plaque bore an inscription with the fairy's name and R.I.P. next to it. Oh god. She really was going to kill Cosmo and Poof, wasn't she?

Plus, now she had three fifths of Wanda's soul. No, wait, more than that. She had Cosmo, who comprised the sixth part. Two from the previous universes, plus the one she undoubtedly already possessed, plus Cosmo's...four sixths of a fairy. Timmy choked, bile burning his throat. He'd seen what one soul sliver could do through Vicky's reign. How much worse was ⅔ of a whole soul?

He wasn't going to panic. He definitely wasn't wearing circles into the floor by pacing furiously. Think, think. Doombringer was a competent, insane fairy hunter who wouldn't stop until she'd purloined his fairies. And now she had magic on her side as well. He had no reason to believe he'd be able to leave this universe until he'd fulfilled his task, which meant he was a sitting duck. Why hadn't that other Wanda given him a way to summon her?

And what had happened to this universe's Cosmo and Wanda? For that matter, what had happened to him? He scanned the plaques, hoping against hope not to see their names etched there. He didn't, but that didn't reassure him, either. Heart in his throat, he stepped out of the classroom and realized that above the lockers were hundreds, if not thousands of fairy plaques. And Doombringer had done this in two months? How…

It'd take him too long to search them for his fairy godparents. He'd just have to assume the worst and work from there. Since he usually assumed the worst in people, he guessed that wasn't much of a stretch.

It took him another two rounds about the school before his gaze fell upon Crocker's locker. The scepter had stopped responding a while back, but now it slammed him into the metal. Hissing, he pulled back, opened the door, and fell down the long chute into the sub-basement beneath the school. Someone had moved the mattress and he landed hard, the breath knocked out of him.

There was another door in the cave, one that hadn't been there before. Cautious, Timmy approached it and it opened beneath his hand. Darkness awaited him and he looked at the scepter accusingly, as if it might have the ability to produce light. It didn't. Shaking it, smacking it into the wall, and growling at it only frustrated him and did nothing for illumination.

He placed his hand along the wall and descended the stairs. Every flight he went down, the air grew more acrid and full of dust. He sneezed and it tickled the back of his throat. This wasn't regular dust, was it? It glowed faintly and he rubbed it between his fingers. His heart stopped and he froze, alarmed.

It wasn't regular dust. It was fairy dust, probably accumulated from all the faeries she'd murdered. This wasn't hunting; this was genocide. For all he knew, he was breathing in dead faeries. Okay, that wasn't a disturbing thought. Chills wracked him and he rubbed his arms. He'd be okay. He'd be okay. He was just imagining things.

Finally, at the fifth flight of stairs, he reached solid ground. Sconces lit up at his arrival and led into a hallway with no end in sight. Keeping his hand on the wall, more to steady his lurching heart than out of physical necessity, he passed unmarked doors. None opened beneath his touch except for the last one, at the very end of the hall.

Light flooded the room and Timmy's grip tightened on the scepter. He was temporarily blinded and he flung up an arm to shield his watering eyes. It dawned on him that someone was applauding, slow and sarcastic. He couldn't distinguish anything beyond vague shapes, however, and he could only tell that an adult woman sat upon a chair toward the back.

The applause continued and his vision refused to clear. It took several long minutes before he was able to discern that the woman applauding him was none other than Doombringer. On every inch of the available wall space were mounted crowns and wings, thousands of them. It could've been every faerie in Fairy World. He threw up, which wasn't exactly the best show of strength, but the thought of her slaughtering all of those fairies and what it implied for Cosmo and Poof did not sit well with him.

When he finished and wiped his mouth, wishing he had something to take the taste out, Doombringer had ceased applauding and he glanced about the room. In front of Doombringer were a nasty array of weapons and tools, some of which had sparkling blood upon them. There were bookcases beneath the plaques that were full of files and he stared, uncomprehending, at them. There was a computer on a desk near Doombringer's position which had an Excel sheet up. Through it all, Doombringer's gaze followed his.

Finally, it rested on her and he saw his godfather chained to the desk she sat near. Poof was unchained and she was glancing at him thoughtfully.

"I've never seen a fairy child before," Doombringer said. "I wonder what it might do."

"They're not your fairies," Timmy growled. "Give them back."

"Hello, Turner," she said sweetly. "I didn't hear you come in. But I saw you on the computer. Did you really think you could waltz in here and reclaim your fairies? I caught them as soon as they made the jump.

"Besides, I have plans for them. Cosmo, at least. So many fairies escaped to Fairy World after I started hunting down children's godparents. Poor Jorgen had to close off Fairy World while he figured out how to stop me," she said and then laughed. "That worked up until a very foolish, desperate fairy gave me something I've always wanted. Part of another fairy's soul."'

At her neck gleamed a large crystal and this time, Timmy could clearly see Wanda's face in it. Cosmo was watching the crystal too and his expression was stricken.

"With it, I was able to seize control of this world, which was already dying. Perhaps you noticed the soundless pocket universe you first came into? That was an attempt to rescue someone's fairies from me. Now there's no magic in that world," she said and then scowled. "Their fairies managed to get away from me."

She reached up and yanked Cosmo's wing out. It was bloodless and she crushed the wing in her fist. Poof whimpered, floating out of Doombringer's grasp. In retaliation, Doombringer snagged Cosmo's other wing and Cosmo fell, hard, to the table. A sharp implement stabbed him and he shrieked, trying to get away. Doombringer slammed her palm down on top of him and then squeezed his throat.

"The crystal screams when I hurt him," Doombringer mused. "This could be quite entertaining."

-

Timmy thought frantically. While he did so, Doombringer squeezed Cosmo's throat and Poof wailed. Thunder boomed in the distance. She squeezed tighter, until Cosmo's skin color passed white, blue, and went straight to green. Cosmo clawed at his throat and she slammed his head into the table. The thunder sounded closer now and Poof glowered at Doombringer.

"Wanna see what I did to your parents, child?" she hissed. "I'll show you."

She moved across the room with her hand still on Cosmo's throat and grabbed the laptop with her other hand. Carrying it back to the table, she opened it up, released Cosmo so he could breathe, and keyed up the video. The video must've been filmed from a security camera, because it was high up and then focused on Cosmo and Wanda, powerless without their wings or crowns and stuck in a butterfly net with sharp iron tips that dug into their skin. Every time they struggled, the metal dug deeper, gouging out skin and tearing into muscle. Cosmo was pleading, begging for her to stop and telling her he'd give her whatever she wanted. Wanda, on the other hand, was appealing to her sense of common decency. When that didn't work, she tried threatening her with Jorgen's wrath.

"Pay attention, little one," the Doombringer in this moment crooned. Doombringer appeared on camera with thick leather gloves and wrapped the net tighter about the fairies, so that it scraped against skin, dug into their cheeks, and everywhere there was exposed flesh. It lacerated them and cut up clothes. Dark, sparkling blood welled up on the butterfly net.

"I will torture Cosmo slowly, listening to him scream before I finally grant him mercy and kill him," she informed Poof.

Shutting off the video, because she thought Poof had gotten the idea, she rounded on Timmy and laughed. "He's your godfather, isn't he? Poor thing."

"Cosmo, do something," he pleaded.

"There's no magic left for him to try anything," she said smugly. "The butterfly net over the school prevents his magic from working."

Then why was the thunder coming closer? Lighting flashed before their eyes and Doombringer hissed, temporarily blinded. Timmy was too and didn't notice Poof moving until he was behind him and growling, trembling too. He could hardly fail to have noticed their predicament.

"You can do magic without a wand," Doombringer said, surveying Poof closely. "But it's all flash and no substance."

Lightning struck Doombringer square in the chest and flung her back against the wall. Timmy wasn't sure whether Poof had meant to injure the woman or he was too frightened to aim. However, he needed the crystal necklace about the woman's neck, which meant he'd have to approach her when she was unconscious. She wasn't exactly going to hand it over.

Was she dead? She wasn't moving and her chest wasn't rising or falling. Cautious, he stepped closer to her. Her hair smelled singed and the smell of cooked meat radiated through the air. Cosmo was still relearning to breathe and wouldn't be of any use to him. Typical. Shit, though, he hadn't known Poof was that powerful.

He stood in front of her and her eyes snapped open. Her chest was rising and falling, albeit erratically. Only one side of her body was moving-had she suffered a stroke when Poof electrocuted her? That'd slow her down, at any rate. He just had to figure out which side was her weak side and attack that.

"I was wrong," she said and her voice was slurred. "That child is more powerful than I thought."

"Give us the magical crystal and we'll let you go," Timmy said. She laughed and squeezed the crystal about her neck in her good hand. Power surged through it into her body and she acquired a pink glow. Wanda's stolen magic. Although her right hand was withered, it still functioned. A few seconds later, she returned to the bloom of health. Timmy moaned and Poof whimpered.

"I have half of a fairy's soul," Doombringer hissed. "Did you really think one stray lightning bolt was going to take me down? Fools."

"I was kinda hoping," he admitted. Cosmo walked over to Timmy's side and his breathing was labored. Timmy saw mottled bruises on his windpipe and winced.

"But he shouldn't have been able to do magic at all…" she mused. "The butterfly net must not extend this far down."

Cosmo and Timmy might've been stymied, but not Poof. The fairy baby shot another lightning bolt at her that caught her in the back and Doombringer braced herself against the table. The computer sparked and died. Unfortunately, the same could not be said of his enemy. Wanda's magic continued to envelope and heal her. Timmy was sick just watching it.

She reached for Poof and with her magic, hauled him in. Poof spat in her face and summoned another burst of electricity, which she countered with Wanda's magic. That was cheating, damn it. But if Wanda's magic was only at half strength compared to Poof, where he must've taken after his father in the strength department (part Von Strangle, after all), Poof might have a chance. He just had to be unpredictable.

"You're desperate to protect your parents, when you've already lost," she snorted. Poof narrowed his eyes. Doombringer must've confiscated his rattle when she'd stolen Cosmo's wand.

It dawned on Timmy that he was praying a baby would save him. Wow. Had his luck gone downhill or what?

And why was he just standing there while Doombringer taunted Poof? Shouldn't he be doing something? He turned to Cosmo.

"If Poof can do magic without his wand, why can't you?" he asked.

"Uh...the last time I did, I sank Atlantis," Cosmo admitted. "I'm not allowed to do magic without my wand anymore. It's too dangerous."

"Oh, c'mon," he said. "You're afraid to do magic when your wife's being used as a weapon and a version of your future son is fighting off a nutjob on her own? What kind of a father and husband are you?"

"Uh...the incompetent kind?" he suggested and frowned. "Wanda's counting on me. And so is Poof."

"Exactly!" Timmy snapped. "Are you going to do something or are you just going to stand there?"

Doombringer rounded on Poof, but he danced out of her reach. Lightning was out of the question, so when she hauled him in again, he blasted her with fire. It covered her from head to toe and Doombringer screamed. Perhaps this was too evil for Poof to contemplate, because she seemed to be in prolonged agony, and he stopped.

"You can't kill me, can you?" she mocked. She squeezed Wanda's crystal and renewed herself again. This was like a boss battle, where the boss would heal himself and undo all the damage you'd done. The key was to hit her with a super attack and then, while she was trying to recover, blast her again and again. They never fully healed, after all, if you hit them hard enough. Their recovery would be less and less until they stopped being able to heal.

Wait, what was he doing? He should be taking advantage of Poof's attacks to steal the crystal back. He was such an idiot.

"I'm going to murder your father in front of you and you're too cowardly to stop me," she taunted. Poof roared and, for an instant, time stopped. At first, Timmy thought it was just him holding his breath, but no, time had literally stopped. How powerful was Poof? Holy crap.

"Timmy!" he cried, pointing to the crystal. Timmy surged into action and ripped the necklace off her neck. As he did so, magic raced around him and flung him into the wall. He hit with a thud and his teeth rattled. His back was killing him.

Poof collapsed to the floor and Cosmo rushed to catch him. Damn. He'd forgotten that it took a lot of magic for a fairy to pull that off and without a wand, it was pretty impressive. Also, he totally owed this victory to Poof, if a victory it was. Time restarted.

Doombringer reached for her necklace, to pull more magic, but her neck was bare. She rounded on Timmy, Cosmo, and Poof. Of the three of them, only Timmy was in any condition to fight. Cosmo looked unsteady on his feet, Poof was unconscious, and Timmy hadn't been injured. Yet.

So why weren't they poofing out of here? Shouldn't they be on to the next universe by now? What was taking so long? His heart pounded. This could be a problem.

"Well, Turner, it looks like you're out of tricks and out of luck," she said.

It looked that way to him too. Frantic, he shook the crystals and magic enveloped him. However, he didn't move. It just seemed to produce a barrier between them. Maybe he could work with that. He had no experience in using his godparents' magic, but, hey, this was a great time to start, right?

"I wish we were anywhere but here!" he said and shook the crystal for all it was worth. He remained standing and Doombringer laughed.

"Care to try again?" she mocked.

"Cosmo, help!" he cried. "Do something! Anything!"

Cosmo latched onto the necklace too and pink and green magic infused it. There was a sudden jerk and darkness crashed down upon them. He wasn't sure they'd gone anywhere, but he could no longer see his enemy. That had to count for something, right?

Oh, let it count for something.

"Where are we?" he asked.

"Uh...I don't know," Cosmo admitted. "But, I don't think we're under the school anymore."

"So where _are_ we?" he pressed.

"Um...I dunno...maybe nowhere."

"Great. We've broken down in the middle of nowhere. Any good news?"

"I lost the crystal."

"I said _good_ news!"

"We're still alive?"

"Not for long…" Doombringer hissed and Timmy screamed. He reached for Cosmo and Poof, but couldn't see his hand in front of his face. Okay, this day had just gone from bad to worse.

"Guys? Anyone who isn't Doombringer?" he pleaded.

He clenched his fist and realized he was still holding the necklace strand. Cosmo must've been holding the crystals. Wishing wouldn't get him out of this. He wasn't sure why he was still here, but there had to be something else. Was Doombringer infused with Wanda's power and they had to get it back out of her? He'd never actually seen anyone wield Wanda's magic before.

Anywhere but here. He needed to go anywhere but here. His heart pounded. There was another massive jerk, lights exploded before his eyes, and he crashed into something hard and unyielding. The breath was knocked out of him and he choked, tugging on the necklace he held with Cosmo.

Please be somewhere safe. Please be somewhere safe.

He opened his eyes and moaned.

"Hello, Turner," Crocker said, looming over him.

* * *

Anxiety had her in a vice grip. It didn't help that she was trapped in a nightmare. Lorenzo had disappeared to babysit Timmy, which really meant he'd return with him in tow soon enough. Azalea, smirking, had left Chloe to her own devices. She was alone in a strange room that had sex items she'd sooner not think about and Cosmo and Wanda remained unconscious in their cage.

She wasn't even certain she could speak if she wanted to. She hadn't tested it. There was no one to talk to, after all. She hugged her knees and realized, to her shock, that she could. Azalea had restored power to her body. Immediately, she rushed toward the beads and then bounced back, a force-field preventing her from progressing. She should have known better.

"Chloe!" Wanda exclaimed and she turned to face her godmother. Both fairies had stirred, Cosmo slower than his wife. Wanda's hair was still matted to her head and she looked miserable. Chloe's heart clenched.

"I'm so sorry, you guys," she moaned. "I didn't think-I thought maybe we could-"

"Sssh, it's okay," she soothed. Chloe crouched beside the cage and then sat down next to them. Wanda reached out through the bars to touch her arm and Chloe burst into tears. She thought she had this under control. Boy, was she wrong. (And why did she hear that last sentence in Timmy's voice?)

"It's not okay! You guys were captured and I'm here and it's all my fault," she protested.

"Yeah, but at least you can talk and move your body, right?" Cosmo said. "That's an improvement!"

"For now," Chloe said. "Lorenzo went off to babysit Timmy."

"Oh, dear," Wanda sighed. "Even if Timmy gets here and isn't Lorenzo's captive, we don't have our wands or access to magic."

"How are you feeling?" Chloe pressed. She'd worry about what happened later when it happened. Thinking about it right now was prone to increase her anxiety levels, which were already at an all time high. Everything seemed distant and only Wanda's hand on her arm kept her anchored instead of panicking in her head.

"You don't wanna know, sweetie."

"Like a jackhammer drilled right through her head!" Cosmo suggested and Wanda groaned.

"Yes, something like that," she agreed.

Chloe curled and uncurled her fists. She was trapped in this room and Azalea hadn't exactly left a wand out or a weapon for her to use. She could, however, free Cosmo and Wanda. It was a simple latch and she undid it, tossing the net aside.

"Man, I hate butterfly nets," Cosmo commented.

"I really hate Lorenzo," Wanda muttered. "And just when I thought my opinion of Azalea couldn't sink any lower…"

"You guys can't do any magic without your wands, right?" she asked. They shook their heads and Chloe tore through Azalea's stuff. She stopped when she realized that the first drawer was entirely filled with sex toys, some of them unwashed. Shrieking, she backed away and looked desperately for hand sanitizer. She wanted to bathe in it.

"Yeah...I wouldn't have recommended that," Cosmo said.

"What is _wrong_ with that woman?" Chloe exclaimed, afraid to touch anything else now.

"Hun, we'd be here all day if I tried telling you," Wanda said.

Chloe wiped her hands on Azalea's bedsheets and, cringing and feeling soiled, opened up the next drawer. It contained old photographs of female children, all in various states of undress. Okay, she was thisclose to a meltdown.

"Wait, there's something else in there," Wanda said, walking up behind Chloe and scaring her half to death.

"Is it enough rope to hang her with?" Cosmo asked.

Chloe didn't get the expression and wasn't sure she wanted to know, all things told. She curled into a ball and hugged her knees. Rocking back and forth, she watched Wanda extract what looked like a paddleball. It couldn't be, because Wanda's brow furrowed at it.

Her godmother yanked the ball off and it popped open, revealing a small wand. It looked like a toy wand, but when Wanda waved it in the air, hand sanitizer dropped down next to Chloe's feet. She hadn't even wished for it.

She would have thanked her, but her throat constricted and her arms were locked about her legs. Her teeth chattered.

"It looks like a training wand," Wanda mused. "Must be her emergency wand. She must have hidden it from Jorgen when he imprisoned her. Training wands don't do much-it's weaker wishes at best."

"Better than nothing!" Cosmo commented and strode over to Chloe. "Hey."

Chloe couldn't speak. Her throat had tightened beyond communication. She felt faint and her head spun. Maybe if she closed her eyes and concentrated really hard, this nightmare would be over. She tried and then opened her eyes again. She was still here.

"We won't be able to down the forcefield with this," Wanda commented. "But we will be able to help."

"How?" Chloe croaked, the word barely audible.

"We'll figure out something," Wanda promised. She hurried over to Chloe too and stroked her hair. Somehow, being able to move and speak on her own was worse than being locked in her body, because now she knew she could move but her body still wouldn't let her. It'd locked up out of terror.

She whimpered and both godparents stroked her hair now. Azalea would be back soon and then those foul things she'd touched would be inside of her or against her. Bile rose in her throat and burned as she swallowed it back. She was shaking harder; Wanda hugged her while Cosmo smoothed her hair down.

"Baby steps," Wanda murmured. "Take a deep breath and let it out. Focus on your breathing."

"And if that fails, focus on our breathing!" Cosmo added.

Tears streaked her face, but her lips twitched toward a smile. She leaned against her godparents and waited for Azalea to return. It was all she could do. Unless...she glanced at them.

"Can you guys get a message to Timmy?" she asked.

"Sure can, hun," Wanda said. She shook the training wand. "These things are good for something, at least."

"But whether he reads it is another story," Cosmo reminded her.

"I wish you'd tell Timmy what's going on and make him read the note!" she said and Wanda held up the training wand. It glowed and Chloe was uncomfortably reminded of the wand at her neck earlier. She flinched at the light.

"Hey, wanna play a board game while we wait?" he asked.

Chloe shook her head. She rested her chin on her knees and tried not to imagine the ways in which her life was about to go horribly, horribly wrong.

The minutes ticked by and felt like hours. Chloe didn't feel much like talking and any attempts by either faerie to engage her in conversation fell flat. She was trying her hardest to come up with a solution, but her mind had frozen. All she could think about was Azalea's hands on her and the disgusting feel of her naked flesh. It was like she needed brain bleach, which was something Wanda had told her was beyond the training wand's capabilities.

They huddled together, the fairly odd family, waiting for Azalea to return. Cosmo kept jabbing at the barrier with the training wand to no avail. Wanda finally had to jerk him back before he shorted it out. It wouldn't do to have their only advantage destroyed.

All of this Chloe registered dimly, in the back of her mind. She continued rocking back and forth until the beads moved and Azalea chuckled.

"I thought this might happen," she said. "I'm amazed you freed them before having a meltdown."

Chloe startled, Azalea's voice penetrating her mental fog. She glanced around and saw that Wanda had stowed the wand. Her godparents eyed Azalea warily and the other fairy chortled. The sound felt like ice dripping down Chloe's spine.

"Of course, I can't permit you to have control over your body and mouth now," she mused. She raised her wand and Chloe stood, her body stiff from holding that unnatural position for so long. With another flick of her wand, Azalea shoved Cosmo and Wanda back into the crate. The door burst open and Wanda growled, eyes flashing.

"I don't think so," she snapped.

"Oh, you found my training wand. How quaint."

"I may not be able to give you what you deserve, but I'm not going to let you have Chloe without a fight," she growled.

"Yeah, what she said!" Cosmo piped up. Chloe's heart constricted. They were going to get hurt because of her. That was the last thing she wanted. But oh, she loved them so much. And a small part of her, the selfish part she didn't nurture except on her birthday, craved for them to do just that. She squashed it and swallowed hard, tears pricking the corners of her eyes.

"And what, exactly, do you intend to do to stop me?" Azalea asked, raising her eyebrows. "Those training wands are basically useless."

"Basically, but not quite," Wanda agreed. She shot ropes out at Azalea, which the other fairy dodged, but it was a feint where the real magic were the cinder-blocks weighing her arms and legs down. Azalea hissed, glowering at Wanda.

"You are going to make this very unpleasant, aren't you?" she snarled.

"I'm going to do whatever it takes to defend my goddaughter against a monster like you," she shot back.

"The child lacks self-preservation skills. She doesn't want to be saved. So why should you indulge her?" Azalea snorted, somehow contriving to look amused despite being on her hands and knees. She blew a strand of hair out of her face.

"Because she's our goddaughter and we're here to protect her as well as see to her wishes," Wanda said.

"As soon as Lorenzo comes back with Timmy...then we'll see," Azalea seethed.

"Oh, we will, will we?" Wanda challenged. "Bring it on, sister."

Azalea smiled cruelly. "I will destroy you, but not just you. Every single Wanda in existence will be thrown out of the multiverse. And the secret to that is in this crystal around my neck."

Chloe, Cosmo, and Wanda scrutinized it and Azalea laughed.

"It contains one fifth of your soul, Wanda," she taunted. "Not you, specifically, but another Wanda just like you. And once I harness its power...goodbye possible threats. Because let's face it-Cosmo's hopeless without you."

Wanda's eyes narrowed. "And how do you plan to do that?"

"I'll let Lorenzo fill you in on all the details. Just as soon as he comes back."

Chloe's heart pounded. She could wish her godparents away, and she really should; she ought to send them to Timmy's side. He needed them more than she did. After all, Azalea was temporarily incapacitated. And then she remembered she had no control over her body. She cursed inwardly.

They settled in to wait, Cosmo and Wanda conferring quietly in a corner while Azalea cast them a nasty look from her position kneeling in front of the four-poster bed. Chloe, meanwhile, found herself moving against her will and looking for something to smash the cinder-blocks with. It seemed Azalea's power over her consisted of both wand commands and mental suggestions. Chloe's skin crawled.

"That's right," she crooned. "You know you want to free me."

Cosmo and Wanda stopped talking to stare at them. She pleaded mentally with them to rescue her, but Wanda had warned her that the wand wasn't very powerful. They couldn't undo Azalea's spell without further assistance and they weren't about to get it. Or were they? She still didn't know how Timmy had received the letter. Or where, for that matter, Timmy was.

* * *

Timmy glanced over the letter Wanda and Chloe had drafted, balled it up, and threw it in the garbage. Chloe exaggerated everything. She'd just roped Wanda into doing the same. He wasn't in any danger. Yeah, okay, there were moments he couldn't remember from yesterday and his mouth had a nasty taste that no amount of scrubbing removed.

When his parents told him Lorenzo was coming over, he was filled with unreasonable and unaccountable dread. He greeted his new babysitter with a smile and Lorenzo beamed back. Something about it sent chills skittering down his spine and he walked away to dial Chloe. It was the first time he could recall that he'd actually wanted to talk to her and initiate the conversation. The call went straight to voicemail.

Something dropped into the pit of his stomach and stayed there. Through the window, he watched his parents drive away. He wanted to rush after them and clamor for their return, which was something he'd only ever experienced with Vicky.

He revolved on the spot until he collided with Lorenzo, who braced him and held his hands on Timmy's elbows a few seconds too long. Timmy gulped, stepping back and colliding with the couch. The nightmare he'd suffered returned. He needed to talk to Cosmo and Wanda.

Wait, no, this was _their_ fault. They'd put the idea in his head that he couldn't trust Lorenzo. So had Chloe, for that matter. (Why wasn't she answering her phone? She always answered her phone). None of that explained the nausea he had now. He glanced up into Lorenzo's eyes, the same shade as his. He'd never met anyone with that particular hue before.

"Your little friend isn't answering her phone?" Lorenzo said and his eyes narrowed. "Why, I bet your godparents wouldn't even respond to their names, either. Why don't you try? Oh, Cosmo and Wanda!"

Timmy clutched his stomach and retreated as far as he could go, which placed him up against the back of the couch. Lorenzo smiled and clapped his hands. A dark crown floated over his head and feathery black wings spread from his back. Timmy's mouth dropped. He stood his ground, however foolish that was.

"Oh, is it finally dawning on you?" he mocked. "Chloe figured it out ages ago. Cosmo did too, but that was because I'd given him a substantial hint."

He grinned and malice shone through. Timmy shuddered.

"You're an anti-fairy," he snapped.

Lorenzo applauded sarcastically. "What gave it away? The crown or the wings? Or was it the fact that I was in your nightmare last night?"

"It was you?" he gasped and jumped off the couch. Was there any sense in calling Cosmo and Wanda in front of him? He hadn't owned up to them being his, but he didn't have to if Lorenzo was an anti-fairy. He wasn't in danger of losing his fairy godparents now, but what he was in danger of he didn't know.

"Just like it was me yesterday too," he crooned. "Perhaps you need a reminder?"

He brandished a wand and the memories crashed in on him. Whimpering, he curled into a ball. He could still feel Lorenzo's hands on him and Lorenzo inside of him. When he was capable of looking up, he glowered at the anti-fairy. Lorenzo's smile had faded, but his eyes were like hard chips of stone.

"Cosmo and Wanda won't come," he said softly. "They're with Azalea and Chloe. Perhaps you should have listened to your godmother. But it doesn't matter which universe-you never learn."

"What did you do to them?" he demanded.

"I? I did nothing," he said. "Not yet, anyway. Within a day, however, that will no longer be true."

That same cruel, malicious smile spread across his face. "Or, perhaps, that's not strictly true. I imagine Azalea's having fun with Chloe right now. The same kind of fun you and I are going to have."

Timmy bolted, dashing for the stairs. Lorenzo watched him and casually flicked his wand. The stairs turned into a slide and Timmy crashed into the bottom. Undeterred, he bolted for the kitchen door and it morphed into part of the wall. The front door vanished too, as well as the stairs to the basement.

"You're trapped, my dear," he said. "But, come, let me tell you a story before we reunite the family."

Timmy scanned the area frantically for a weapon. Anything would do. He dashed into the kitchen and produced a butcher knife, but he was leery of using it on another being. He didn't think he had the courage or the evil to hurt someone like that. Still, he could defend himself with it if need be.

"Ah, yes, a butcher knife against a wand," Lorenzo intoned. "You've brought a knife to a gunfight. Sit."

Timmy slammed into the floor and found himself incapable of moving. Lorenzo sat in front of him and watched him with avarice. It turned Timmy's stomach and he was unable to look the anti-fairy in the eyes. Unfortunately, looking down was worse. He couldn't find a safe place to rest his gaze, so he clenched his eyes shut. Lorenzo cupped his chin and forced them open.

"No doubt you were wondering whose anti-fairy I am. The answer, of course, is simple. I'm yours. Oh, not you specifically. That honor belongs to Nega-Timmy, who is clearly a rip-off of me. Another Timmy, in another universe, created me when he wished to be a fairy. You remember that wish, don't you? Ah, I can see you do."

Was this the end of story time? He wasn't naive enough to think Lorenzo would release him, but he hoped for it anyway. Instead, the anti-fairy scooped him up into his arms and kissed him on the cheek. Bile rose in Timmy's throat and he swallowed it back down with difficulty. Lorenzo's hands wandered along his body and Timmy flinched, an involuntary movement that Lorenzo somehow hadn't suppressed. The anti-fairy chortled.

"Come along now, Tim-Tim," he sneered. "Chloe and Azalea have been dying to see you."

He couldn't ask any questions. His mouth was sealed shut. And he couldn't exactly trick his body into moving involuntarily, could he? The only thing he could do was flinch and that was not effective. He wracked his brain for something else that might actually be helpful.

He waved his wand and they reappeared beneath the school in the Crocker Cave. From there, they moved into a subterranean lair. Lorenzo pushed aside love beads that would have looked more in place in the 1970s and sighed, spying Azalea on the floor with cinderblocks on her hands and feet. Chloe was trying to lift the cinder blocks off the floor to smash them, but they were too heavy.

Another wand wave and Azalea was free. She glowered at Cosmo and Wanda and Timmy was so relieved to see them free that he tried to run to them. However, he couldn't move either. Lorenzo placed him on the bed where Chloe walked, head unnaturally straight, and sat beside him. The anti-fairy turned to Azalea.

"Trouble in paradise?" he asked, cocking his eyebrows at her.

"Wanda found my training wand," Azalea said with utmost loathing. Timmy's heart leaped in his chest. Training wands had _some magic_. Then he remembered how they were star-powered and you needed to collect stars for anything substantial. His heart sank right back down. Fuck.

Lorenzo shook his head but helped Azalea to her feet. "Wanda will cease to be an issue soon enough."

"Hello, right here!" Wanda growled. She pointed the wand at their enemies. "You're not laying a finger on either of our godchildren."

She glared at Timmy. "Thanks for reading the note, sport."

If he could have moved his head, he would have hung it like a dog and his tail would've been between his legs. Wanda probably wasn't going to let him hear the end of this. Or, rather, she would for now, because there were more important things to worry about, like whether they were going to survive the next few hours intact. He noticed how bloody Wanda's hair was and how unsteady she was on her feet. Cosmo had to brace her.

"Fairy blood sparkles," Lorenzo said. "Did you notice, Timmy? Here, let me give you another demonstration."

He aimed the wand at Wanda's midsection and she growled, blocking the blast. Her eyes blazed. It might have looked more badass if Cosmo weren't supporting her.

Azalea huffed and, as Lorenzo aimed at Wanda's head, which she blocked, the other fairy scored a hit across her stomach. Her shirt ripped and blood rushed out. It sparkled, dark and glittery, as it coursed out of the wound and down her black pants. Timmy gulped, as did Chloe. It looked like that was one of the few things they had control over.

Chloe was looking at him out of the corner of her eye and was pleading with him, but he didn't know what she expected from him. Maybe just an end to this, by whatever means.

Wanda healed herself and cleaned up her outfit, but the point had been made. One, that she couldn't defend against two attacks simultaneously and two, that fairy blood did, indeed, sparkle. That was something Timmy could have comfortably gone his life without knowing. Judging by the look in Chloe's eyes, she agreed.

"Very educational," Lorenzo said and laughed at them. "Oh, you two should see the looks on your faces. Or, rather, the haunted look in your eyes. Did no one ever tell you that your godparents can be injured? That they can be killed? Didn't Doombringer's warnings ever hit home, Timmy?"

Chloe looked a question at him, but he couldn't respond. He'd tell her later, assuming he regained control over his mouth.

"What a self-absorbed, stupid child you've been," Lorenzo crooned. "You think that Cosmo and Wanda are just endless sources of magic for you. You don't care about them at all. Now that your entertainment is endangered, now you care."

Timmy wanted to scream that wasn't true. That seeing Wanda battered and bruised, with Cosmo keeping her from keeling over, was sickening. That knowing that his godparents were relatively defenseless was terrifying. They'd always protected him, much more than his real parents had.

"On three, love?" Azalea said and Lorenzo smirked. They raised their wands and Wanda mirrored them. As she dodged the first blast, the second scored her in the midsection again. Wanda healed herself, but while she was doing that, Lorenzo aimed another blast for her head. Cosmo flung himself in the way, which surprised everyone, and he went slamming into the wall. Sparkling blood trailed down from the back of his head as he slid down to the floor.

"The key is to hit them rather hard," Azalea said. "We don't bleed easily. But these walls are titanium. When they hit them, it _hurts_. Right, Cosmo? Wanda?"

"You have no idea how much trouble you're going to be in," Wanda growled. She hurried over to Cosmo and held the wand aloft to heal him. A shot caught her in the back and crashed both fairies into the wall. Timmy watched with baited breath. Neither moved. He wasn't even sure Wanda was still breathing. He couldn't see her chest rise and fall.

A scream clawed its way through his throat and remained trapped there. Chloe whimpered and trembled; she wanted to defend her godparents, as did Timmy, but they were locked into position. Her breathing was shallow and Timmy knew what she would have asked him if she could have.

"Did you kill her?" Azalea asked, sounding curious. She approached the two smaller fairies and kicked Wanda over onto her back. Wanda moaned and Timmy relaxed, relieved. They might not be in good shape, but they were all right, as well as could be expected given the circumstances.

"Damn. Oh, but then Jorgen might have cared," she said. "Wouldn't want that idiot running unchecked."

She picked Cosmo and Wanda up and flung them back into the carrier. She tossed the butterfly net on top and this time, locked it with a strong, durable lock that looked difficult if not impossible to pick. She scooped up the training wand too.

Lorenzo laughed. "Look how frightened we've made them. Chloe's got tears in her eyes."

Her shoulders shook and Timmy realized that she'd been relying on him to rescue her, rescue all of them. The guilt crushed him. Her tears were involuntary and they slipped down her cheeks. He could practically hear her screaming their names in her mind. Tears pricked his eyes too. It dawned on him too that they were only eleven and he was petrified.

"Should we batter them around some more?" Lorenzo asked. "I enjoy a good tussle."

Chloe's breath hitched on a sob. Azalea flung the butterfly net aside and pointed her wand at the two fairies imprisoned in the carrier. She glanced at the children and smirked.

"I want them conscious for this. In pain, yes, but conscious while we take their godchildren in front of them."


	13. Good Grief

Chapter Thirteen: Good Grief

Wanda would never have approved of the first words out of his mouth. She probably would have scrubbed his mouth out with soap.

"Oh, fuck, it's you," he said, looking up at Mr. Crocker. He groaned, considering falling back unconscious. He glanced at his hand; the necklace remained, but the crystals were gone. Or crystal, if it had fused into one. He wasn't sure who had the crystal-Cosmo had said he'd lost it. He didn't know if Doombringer was there, as he couldn't see over Crocker's shoulders. Groaning, he forced himself into a sitting position.

"I'm not exactly jumping for joy to see you either, Turner, but I can kiss my mother with my mouth," Crocker snapped.

"And you probably do," he grumbled. "Way more than is healthy."

"Are you implying an improper relationship with my mother?" he demanded.

"Oh, no," he said sarcastically. "I would never do that."

He pushed himself to his feet and the world swayed around him. Poof and Cosmo were nowhere to be seen, but he didn't have time to scan the room. Crocker was glowering at him with his beady eyes.

He chanced a glance at Crocker's desk (they must've been in a version of his classroom) and saw the crystal lying there. Heart sinking, he looked at Crocker's neck, where another crystal hung on a chain. Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no. And if Crocker grabbed the crystal on his desk and merged it with the one around his neck…

"What's the matter, Turner? Cat got your tongue?" he sneered. He frowned at the necklace. "Hmm, what's this? It's got two pink eyes staring out of it. Must be the work of-"

He spazzed, hitting himself repeatedly. "Fairy godparents!

"I'll just help myself to this…" Crocker said and Timmy flung himself on top of the desk. As he did so, he saw two pieces of green and purple chalk. So Cosmo and Poof were okay. Had they escaped Doombringer too? He didn't see her around, so maybe the coast was clear.

"That's mine!" he said, glaring at his teacher.

"So you admit to having-" he spazzed again-"fairy godparents!"

"Since when does this look like a fairy?" he asked, producing the necklace, which Crocker then swiped. "Shit. Give it back!"

"You've got quite a potty mouth on you, Turner," he said. Timmy yanked back on the necklace and his heart pounded.

"A little help here, guys!" he hissed.

Crocker glowed pink and Timmy found himself slammed into the floor, which hadn't been dusted in some time. His breath was knocked out of him and Crocker put a foot on his back. He looked up in time to see his teacher uniting the crystals...if Doombringer had successfully stolen Wanda's spirit out of Cosmo, that meant Crocker now wielded ⅔ of Wanda's soul. Fuck.

"That's enough," Doombringer said and Timmy was both glad to see her and unnerved. She strode across the floor and held out her hand for the necklace. Crocker glowered at her.

"I don't think so," he hissed.

"You were only here as the distraction," she said. "I had no intention of letting you keep that fairy soul sliver. Hand it over. Or I'll have to get dangerous."

"With what?" he sneered.

In response, she produced a deadly looking knife with a wicked curved tip. It glistened, making Timmy wonder if she'd soaked it in poison too. Then he realized it wasn't poison, but fairy blood. He pushed Crocker off him and rolled away, catching his breath. Man, he shouldn't have been knocking Cosmo for not being able to breathe.

"Wanna try your luck?" she suggested.

"No, not really," Crocker admitted. He handed over the crystal and then the others welded into one. They created a rock the size of Timmy's hand. Doombringer squeezed it and this time, Wanda's cry of pain was loud enough to make Timmy's head throb. Grinning, Doombringer squeezed it again and Timmy's heart skipped beats. It was excruciating in two senses to hear Wanda's anguish.

"I command you two to reappear!" Doombringer snarled and Cosmo and Poof materialized. Poof's eyes narrowed.

"So he does have fairies! I was right? I was right!" Crocker cheered and Doombringer blasted him out of the room. The door locked and sealed, as did the windows. This time, Wanda's face peered out at him through the dark crystal, not just her eyes. She bit her lower lip in consternation.

"Leave my wife alone!" Cosmo growled. Doombringer chuckled.

"I didn't follow this crackpot here to back off," she sneered. She pointed at Cosmo and Timmy. "You two are going to lead me to the last soul sliver and then I'll be able to do what I've always wanted. March on Fairy World."

Her eyes were alight with malice and she shook Wanda's crystal for emphasis. Whatever it was doing, it seemed to cause his godmother considerable grief. Cosmo dove at the crystal, which Timmy thought both brave and foolish, and tugged on it to try and yank it out of her hand. When she batted him aside, Poof froze her hand with the crystal inside.

That wasn't quite right, though. There was a layer of ice between her hand and the crystal and Timmy realized Poof had done that on purpose. If she needed skin contact with the crystal in order to activate it, then he'd rendered it inert. This might've been the only thing that could possibly stop her in her tracks.

It occurred to him that if Cosmo and Poof could transform, then they must've had their wands (or rattle, in Poof's case). Doombringer placed her free hand atop her frozen one and Cosmo froze her entire body. Timmy groaned and nodded pointedly at the crystal Doombringer still held. Even in her current immobile state, Doombringer glowered at them.

"Cosmo, you idiot!" Timmy hissed. "What about the crystal?"

"Oh, right!" he said and thawed her hand as well as the air around it. Doombringer growled, freeing herself, and wielded the crystal like a wand. She ensnared Poof in a tractor beam and held him in front of her as a hostage. Cosmo hesitated, as did Timmy. Poof revolved on the spot; he was unable to use magic and they were at a standoff again.

He could see Doombringer thinking, assessing the situation. Cosmo had magic, but if he attacked her, he risked hurting his family. Timmy had no magic, but attacking her would put them all in danger. She had all the cards. He cursed again.

"If you were wondering," she said quietly and he had to strain to hear her, "I've known about the existence of the other crystals for a while now. I've been planning on seizing them as soon as possible. There's only one left…"

"So why not take it like you did Crocker's?" he snarled, lower lip curling.

"Because a fairy is holding that one," she said. "But don't worry. I'll get to her soon enough."

Azalea? Was that the last key to the puzzle? It couldn't have been a fairy with a rapport with Wanda or this wouldn't have happened. He assessed the situation too. Desperate times called for desperate measures. But what could he do that wouldn't hurt someone?

"It looks to me like you have no choices left, Turner, but surrendering," she said.

"But you need me and Cosmo to get the last piece," he protested and she swung the crystal on its chain about her finger.

"No, I don't," she said. "I have Cosmo's part of Wanda's soul. I can use that to track Azalea."

Why wasn't Jorgen interfering? This seemed like, he didn't know, something that might be a big deal. Or at least something that might demand his attention.

"If you're wondering why no one's interfering, it's because no one cares," she whispered, leaning in close. "No one would mourn their deaths, although it might be the first time in millennia that anyone's killed a faerie baby."

She was distracted. It was a small opening and he grabbed it, nearly breaking her hand to steal the crystal back. She slapped him away and Cosmo and Poof retaliated by trapping her in a net that constricted when she fought it. Timmy skidded, keeping himself from falling over through force of will. Unfortunately, Doombringer still clutched the crystal and she thrust the net aside. Or, rather, she tried to, but it dug deeper into it, merging with her skin.

"Very well," she said. Every time she squeezed the crystal, the net tightened. "I must admit, I would have expected something less malicious from a light-sided faerie."

"You're hurting Poof's mother and Cosmo's wife," Timmy pointed out, glowering. "Did you really think they'd go easy on you?"

Not to mention she'd threatened to kill Cosmo twice in front of Poof. And if Doombringer kept the crystal, Wanda would never be resurrected. She'd perish without her soul. Timmy's stomach twisted.

"If I can't cast the net aside…" she closed her eyes and let the net meld itself to her, barbed wire sticking and digging into her flesh. She retrieved her knife and Timmy saw, to his consternation, that Doombringer's blood sparkled too. Not as much as Cosmo and Wanda, but very faintly. She was part faerie? What the hell?

"Maybe the last guardian will prove a help instead of a challenge," she said and snorted. Yeah, Timmy wasn't betting on that either. He glanced at his godfather, who waved his wand. Again they vanished into the darkness and this time, Timmy wasn't sure what he'd find on the other side, except that it probably wouldn't contain Crocker. At least, not a Crocker with Wanda's soul.

The last challenge. The last impediment to retrieving Wanda's soul. Maybe it'd be easy. And maybe Crocker would start handing out As.

* * *

First, they needed to separate them. It hadn't occurred to Azalea until she started stripping that they would require their own space. Lorenzo took Timmy and Cosmo into his room, which left Wanda, Chloe, and Azalea to their own devices. She'd permitted Chloe eye movement and her gaze went everywhere, seeking a solution. There would be none. She stepped out of her skirt and rattled Wanda's cage. The fairy startled, blinking awake. She immediately reached for her wand, which Azalea had pilfered.

"Rise and shine, Wanda dear," she crooned. Chloe was trying to tell her godmother something, but she knew Wanda couldn't read minds.

Wanda growled, but she knew she had no power here. Azalea relished the loathing in her eyes and the way she rattled the bars. Even if she had had her wand, it would've been useless against the butterfly net. Azalea turned her back on Wanda, just to show how little threat she posed, and strode up to Chloe. Chloe's eyes were wide.

"Now, then, we're going to have some fun together, aren't we?"

She pulled Chloe to her and then placed her on the bed. Slowly, languidly, enjoying every second, she set about stripping the girl too. She was getting wet just thinking about what was about to happen. If she'd been wearing panties, they would've been soaked.

Something rattled, but Azalea ignored it for now. Wanda wasn't getting out of the cage. She'd have to dislocate her shoulder first. And no one would be that foolish or that desperate.

With her back still toward the other fairy, she crawled across the bed toward Chloe and pulled her against her. Chloe whimpered and she kissed her hard on the lips. There was a definite cracking sound now, but Azalea ignored it. Maybe Wanda was cracking her head against the cage in despair.

She stroked Chloe's hair with one hand and with the other, she guided Chloe's hand down toward her privates. Her fingers slipped in between her folds and she stroked her. Azalea smirked-Chloe had shut her eyes by now and was probably wishing herself somewhere far away. What surprised her was that Wanda had stopped objecting. She'd expected her to be screaming by now.

Still kissing her, her lips curved into a smile at how despondent Wanda must be, it took her a few seconds to register her flying through the air and crashing into the far wall. She lifted her head from her new position on the floor and saw Wanda, Azalea's wand in her fist and her hair aflame. She was looking murderous.

Azalea rose slowly to her feet and Wanda blasted her back down. The other fairy's arm hung at an unnatural angle-she must have dislocated it, then. She'd done it on purpose...to save Chloe? But why would she do that? Wouldn't it be better to watch Chloe being abused and not physically suffer than to take on pain herself? Azalea would never have sacrificed herself for anyone, especially not a child.

She must have dropped her wand when she was stripping herself or Chloe. She cast about for another wand, but Wanda didn't let her. The instant she moved, Wanda blasted her and it felt like electricity jolting her. Her teeth chattered. She blinked, struggling on her stomach, and Wanda hit her again.

What amazed her was that Wanda hadn't bothered to heal herself yet. She was standing there, arm dangling uselessly at her side, and aiming at her with her good hand. She waved her wand and Chloe sagged like a puppet with its strings cut. Then she hurriedly grabbed her clothes and started dressing. Azalea scowled. So Wanda had undone her paralyzation over Chloe. Big whoop. As soon as she got a wand back, she could redo it.

Except Wanda didn't seem to be letting her so much as roll over. Whenever she showed any signs of movement, Wanda slung another spell at her. Her body was battered and bruised now and Wanda didn't look like she was about to quit any time soon. Her gaze locked onto the other fairy and Wanda's expression was feral.

Another wave of her wand and Chloe was cleaned up, scrubbed pink so as to remove all traces of Azalea's touch. She healed herself once she was sure Chloe was all right and Azalea crept forward. The few inches she accomplished were undone as Wanda swept her right back into the wall. The cinderblocks reappeared, but Azalea had done one smart thing before Wanda conjured them. She grabbed her crystal and squeezed.

The cinderblocks vanished. She summoned the other wand to her and Wanda interrupted its trajectory. She had to think of another tactic. Wait...her lips curved toward a cruel smile and she imagined sucking Wanda's soul into the crystal. Wanda gasped and a force compelled her toward the crystal.

"Jorgen!" Wanda screamed and Chloe added her two cents too.

"I wish Jorgen would appear!"

"No!" Azalea screamed and, abandoning placing Wanda within the crystal, cast a spell that would distract him. She wasn't sure how long she'd be able to keep it up or when he'd realize it was a diversion, but she couldn't permit Wanda to regain the upperhand. Her plan depended on it.

"Hell hath no fury like a godmother scorned," Wanda warned. She rubbed her chest, where Azalea's crystal had attempted to wrench her soul. It was the place right above her heart and Azalea smirked, but her heart pounded. She needed backup. Had Lorenzo gotten so distracted with Timmy and couldn't come to her rescue? And how pathetic was this, that she needed an anti-fairy to come to her rescue?

"Lorenzo DeMedici!" she called and the anti-fairy appeared. He was shirtless and actually had decent abs (not that she cared).

"You find yourself in all sorts of trouble, my sweet," he said. Wanda had shifted, placing herself in front of Chloe. Her expression was livid.

"Ah, you would take the competent one," Lorenzo mused.

"Help me subdue her," she growled. "I'll make it worth your while."

"Oh? And what would you offer?" he asked.

Wanda was eying the barrier with a shrewd look that Azalea didn't care for. She encased herself and Chloe in a protective bubble, but before they reached the beads, Lorenzo blasted them back. Of course, thanks to the bubble, Chloe and Wanda were unscathed. Lorenzo raised his eyebrows at Azalea.

"I find the best practice is to catch them when they're unarmed or weakened," he said. "I've never tried fighting them at full strength."

"On two, then?" she said, ignoring his commentary. She raised her wand and at the same time that Lorenzo aimed, Azalea fired. Wanda dodged both, twisting about in midair and aiming a slash at Azalea that caught her midsection. Was that payback for earlier?

"Did you at least secure Cosmo and Timmy before this?" Azalea growled.

"Nope!" Cosmo cried, appearing from midair. Azalea assessed her options. She had few, but her ace in the hole would be the crystal. Leaning into Lorenzo's ear, she murmured, "Distract them."

Chloe rushed out from behind Wanda to latch onto Timmy. Azalea was surprised and amused to see how much the girl was trembling and how tightly she gripped him. Tears brimmed in her eyes and she pressed her face against Timmy's shoulder to suppress sobs.

Lorenzo beamed and proceeded to deliver a very lurid description of what he intended to do with Timmy once this was over. Timmy flinched, doubtlessly remembering their last session together, and Chloe's fingers dug into his arms. He was holding her tightly and Azalea wondered idly if they would skip the sibling relationship and head into murkier territory.

It was also possible they were just two terrified children.

Lorenzo proceeded to move about and dodge Cosmo and Wanda's attacks, but Wanda would not take her gaze off Azalea. They needed another ploy.

Smiling, she raised her wand and started to fill the room with purple haze. Wanda's blast knocked her wand out of her hand, but the damage was done. Careful not to breathe it in (though not warning Lorenzo to do the same), she squeezed the crystal and concentrated on willing Wanda's soul inside it. Wanda screamed, waving her wand to erase the haze, but she couldn't defend herself and remove the fog simultaneously. And chances were it hadn't occurred to Cosmo that Azalea might have been using the fog as a distraction.

The haze cleared and Wanda collapsed, ashen, on the floor. Cosmo glanced from her to Azalea, who was smirking as she twirled the crystal about her fingers. She rolled her eyes at Lorenzo, waved her wand to clear his airways, and then advanced on the fairly odd family.

"We still have Cosmo," Timmy snapped.

"What did you do to Wanda?" Chloe demanded.

"And you really think Cosmo poses any substantial threat?" Azalea scoffed. "As for what happened to your precious godmother...I stole her soul. See? And if I shake this crystal, she screams."

Cosmo growled, shapeshifting into a tiger, large enough to protect both godchildren. She raised her eyebrows and Lorenzo aimed between Cosmo's eyes. Cosmo whirled, generating a shield to defend them, and Azalea wondered just how far Lorenzo had gotten with Timmy before she'd summoned his aid.

Timmy was half dressed too, after all, though Chloe didn't seem to mind. Or perhaps she was too dazed to care.

"Let go of my wife!" Cosmo snarled.

To her consternation, the crystal sparked at her neck. Lorenzo glanced over at it.

"Problem?" he queried.

"It's not meant to hold two souls, even if one is a portion of the whole," she said. "I'm not sure it's capable of containing them for a long period of time."

"Who else do you have in there?" Timmy growled.

Azalea ignored the question. Cosmo charged Lorenzo and Azalea rushed forward, but the shield bounced her back. Both children were looking at her with utmost loathing.

It was times like these that she wished she shared telepathy with Lorenzo. It would have been simpler to relay her commands via thought speech, but she had no true love. Speaking of which, she wasn't even sure how Cosmo was functioning with Wanda in that state. Or perhaps he was running on fumes.

"Give it up! You're not going anywhere and neither are we!" Timmy said, which she supposed he'd meant to sound intimidating.

Lorenzo blinded Cosmo and she undid the barrier about the children. It took little effort beyond that to toss the butterfly net over Cosmo, reduced to his fairy form again, and then chuck him into the cage, which this time Azalea outfitted with electricity to prevent the same problem as Wanda. Then again, that assumed Cosmo was willing to endure that much pain to rescue his godchildren. She doubted it.

"You're right," Azalea said and leered at them. "You're not going anywhere. And neither are we."

Timmy grabbed Wanda's wand. It took a bit of effort for him to reach it with Chloe still attached to him.

"You're not getting your hands on either one of us," he snarled.

"Put that thing down before you hurt yourself," Lorenzo replied.

"Lemme out of here!" Cosmo cried, shaking the bars and electrocuting himself. He screamed and tried again, reaching out for his godchildren. Azalea paid him no mind. He was powerless in there. She casually kicked Wanda into the wall and turned to Lorenzo.

"We've waited long enough for the curtain to rise," she said. "I think it's time we give the audience what they want."

Azalea relished the look on Chloe's face as Lorenzo pulled Timmy away. She was pale, fingers trembling, and she wanted to cry after Timmy. Azalea frowned, wondering whether they really were sibling-like or something more. Chloe looked heartbroken. Did she have feelings for him beyond the pale spectrum of family? Or was she just distraught?

"I'd ask if you're falling in love with him, but you wouldn't be able to answer me," she snorted. "Are you that concerned for his welfare?"

The force of Chloe's personality was so strong that even without telepathy, Azalea heard her screaming "yes!" in her mind. She wasn't going to ask to which question. Besides, she'd proven her point. And Chloe was still trembling. It was time to warm her up.

She pulled her into her arms and then onto the bed. The girl whimpered and then, out of the corner of her eye, glanced toward Wanda. There would be no help from that quarter. Azalea stroked Chloe's locks and then kissed her on the cheek.

"Sssh, sssh, don't fret," she soothed. "Your godmother will be as good as new, if I ever feel like restoring her to her body."

She laughed. "Oh, who am I kidding? I'm never putting her back. She's been in a thorn in my side for too long, her and all the other do-gooders."

Chloe's gaze turned toward her and Azalea was amused to see the hatred etched in her eyes. She wasn't angry over what was to come; instead, she was enraged by what had befallen Wanda and what would strike Timmy. How selfless. She'd never met a girl like her before. Perhaps she ought to hold off on her plans to let her see what Lorenzo intended for Timmy.

But, no, Azalea had waited an eternity to touch Chloe unimpeded. She undressed her and luxuriated in the feel of naked skin. Chloe gagged, but Azalea wasn't going to permit her to vomit. That would ruin the moment.

She trailed butterfly kisses down the girl's collarbone and along her shoulders. Chloe flinched and Azalea stilled that too with a hand on her necklace. It spat out a few sparks, though. She was going to need to get that looked at once this was over.

Having halted her unconscious reactions, she continued her ministrations, letting her fingers walk all about her body. She thought she heard a tinny voice in the crystal snarling at her. Wanda? No, that was absurd. Wanda had nothing to do with this. She was powerless and immobile, locked within the gem.

She willed the girl to follow her lead and let her small fingers begin their work. She knew Chloe was screaming inside her head, but she, too, was powerless. It was so rewarding and invigorating to have the upper hand here. For too long she'd been captive by Jorgen, imprisoned simply because her tastes ran to the profane. Jorgen and the others judged too hastily. Children weren't always meant to be protected. They were meant to be used, as the children used them. So what if they hurt the children? The children would recover. They would have their memories wiped anyway. What was the harm?

Jorgen claimed that they were psychologically damaged, even after the mind-wipe. That some things lurked in the subconscious and could affect how the children, as adults, interacted with the world. Some of the children, he claimed, became reckless. Others became suicidal. Some never learned to trust others and didn't know why. As far as Azalea was concerned, it was a load of bunk. So what if the kids suffered into adulthood? What did it matter? They were society's problem, not hers.

Jorgen didn't see it that way, of course. He considered the children paramount, not to mention condemning her for her "unrepentant, appalling" behavior. He was overreacting. Azalea had told him that and he'd grown angrier. The look on the other fairies' faces when they heard of her crimes, too...like they hadn't taken advantage of children or manipulated them! Like they were completely innocent!

Jorgen had said that her behavior was worse than Magdalene, the fairy who had fallen in love with her godson during the medieval ages. That at least there, it was almost understandable, because Cupid had marked them as true loves. But Azalea's behavior was reprehensible somehow, like she'd crossed a line. As far as Azalea was concerned, Jorgen had created an arbitrary line in the sand.

She saw nothing wrong with her actions. She also saw nothing wrong with Chloe crying silently, tears streaking her cheeks. She wasn't concerned for herself-Azalea already knew that. Yet there was a part of her that quailed before what was to come.

Azalea had determined a long time ago that only children could satisfy her. She hadn't set out to become a child molester. It was just as she got older, she realized she remained attracted to the same age group. Attempts to date had failed. She tried to put it out of her mind for the longest time, tried to focus on anything else. So she became a godmother.

For a few years, she was able to resist the temptation. Children were such needy things and it had helped that her godchild was male. When she'd been reassigned, however, things fell apart. The girl had disrobed in front of her one day and Azalea had started out slowly, drawing the girl into a relationship. By the time Jorgen discovered it, she'd already taken her a few times.

And Jorgen had been _livid_. She'd never seen Fairy World's leader so enraged and she was used to witnessing his tirades. He had looked like he wanted to snap her neck. In fact, it was only the Fairy Council that stayed his hand, because otherwise, he would have murdered her. As it was, she was flogged and imprisoned, put into a rehabilitation program that only made it easier to conceal her habits from the next inquisition.

She smiled down at Chloe as she reminisced. Then she moaned when the girl hit a sweet spot. This was going just like her dream and, unlike her dream, it proceeded without interference. She held Chloe's hand there, to ensure that she stroked and rubbed in just the right way. She was already wet and her fluids ran down the sheets. Chloe hadn't stopped crying, which Azalea ignored. And in her crystal, Wanda raged.

She hadn't thought Wanda would be conscious for this. Knowing that she was and was rendered impotent was glorious. Wanda hadn't condemned Magdalene like most of Fairy World had, once she had learned of Cupid's role in the affair, but she deplored Azalea, like there was a difference. Cupid had basically sanctioned child molesting, as far as Azalea was concerned. That others saw it differently meant nothing to her.

As Chloe continued working, Azalea thought she'd repay the favor and slipped her fingers judiciously along her body. Chloe choked on her sobs; ingrate. Didn't she know what was good for her? She was trying to help her get off too. She didn't have to act so put upon.

True, her subjects never really enjoyed themselves the first time, but they learned to appreciate her technique sooner or later. Some people might have called it Stockholm Syndrome, but that was absurd. They simply learned that Azalea was older and wiser. And...ow, what the fuck? That crystal was shooting off sparks again.

Azalea cast it aside, putting it on the dresser for the time being. She could do without Wanda's recriminations anyway. She acted so sanctimonious that it made Azalea sick. Like she was so innocent. Like _anyone_ who judged her was so innocent.

Chloe brought her to climax and she moaned, riding it out with her little fingers assisting. She felt the moment when her fingers brought Chloe pleasure, too, though it instigated a new round of tears. Did she really think her body was that shameful? Or was she upset that Azalea had been the one to prove it to her?

She permitted Chloe to bring her to orgasm twice more before rolling off her and grinning lazily. She gave her the ability to move again and the first thing Chloe did was curl into a ball. She glanced longingly at the barrier and Azalea snorted. The minute it looked like Chloe would attack, however, the spell would kick back in and she would be defenseless.

"How did you enjoy our first afternoon together?" she asked. "Was it everything you expected it to be?"

Chloe balled her fists and then darted for the crystal. Azalea held the necklace away from her; clever little girl. Wanda might be able to break through the barrier, even in her current state, and the resulting shock would propel her back toward her body. Azalea couldn't let that happen.

"You're being quite rude," she told her. In response, Chloe bared her teeth and pointed toward the sheets. Frowning, distracted, she didn't notice Chloe yanking the necklace out of her hand until it had almost slipped her reach. She kicked the girl away and the crystal flew off, landing under the bed. Azalea grabbed her wand, summoning it to her before Chloe could retrieve it.

"Did you really think it would be that easy?" she crooned.

Chloe's eyes blazed and she looked homicidal. She kept glancing toward the barrier as though it might break from sheer willpower.

"Shall I show you what Lorenzo and Timmy are up to?" she asked and a pained expression crossed Chloe's face. That meant "yes". Perhaps she'd forgotten about him during Azalea's actions earlier. She'd permitted herself to be selfish and hurt, which was sacrosanct to her.

"I promise they're having a glorious time," she purred. She conjured up a small screen that she placed in Chloe's hands. Chloe gulped and her chest hitched with sobs. Beneath that, though, she sensed iron resolve. She grabbed Azalea's wrist and tried to break it, but the moment she did, the spell took effect again and she was rendered frozen.

"Why would I permit you to hurt me?" she tisked. "Silly child. You can glower at me all you want, but that's all you'll do. Just think-if you hadn't been so concerned with yourself, maybe you could have done something to help Timmy."

There wasn't anything Chloe could have done, but it didn't hurt to rub it in. Azalea smirked at her charge and bid her watch the screen carefully. Lorenzo was about to perform a magic trick.

* * *

Lorenzo leered at Timmy. He'd granted him the power of speech, because he knew Timmy wouldn't be stupid enough to call for Jorgen. As it was, Timmy glowered at him. Like Azalea's room, Lorenzo's space had love beads hanging down, a remnant of the last time Azalea had been free, and there was a barrier between their rooms. Timmy would be repelled the instant he attempted to escape.

Meanwhile, Cosmo was stirring in his cage. He'd blanched and he looked unsteady. Azalea must've done something to Wanda to put Cosmo so off-kilter. Lorenzo smirked. He would have loved to have been privy to that.

"You really shouldn't have trusted me," Lorenzo said. "You show a remarkable lack of self-preservation. I'm impressed."

Timmy continued to glare. Lorenzo wasn't sure whether the boy didn't know he'd had the power of speech returned or if he simply had nothing to say. For now, he soaked up his animosity. Then he moved toward him naked and pinned Timmy to the bed. Timmy spat in his face and Lorenzo gripped the wand to prevent further outbursts.

Lorenzo also used the wand to clean his cheek off and then divested him of his clothes. It was much more entertaining when Timmy spoke and fought back, though. He relished the struggle. So he granted Timmy power of speech and movement again, though it might cost him. He couldn't feed off him directly the way he'd done with his sire, as they didn't share magic. It was a shame, too, because he hadn't realized how much he'd relied upon that until it was no longer at his disposal.

Timmy brought his knee up and kneed Lorenzo in the groin. He then dashed off the bed and shook Cosmo's cage. Lorenzo groaned, using the wand to heal himself again, and lunged at Timmy.

"Wake up!" Timmy snapped. "You gotta get us out of this!"

"Wanda…" he moaned, eyelids fluttering.

"I know Wanda's in bad shape," he snapped. "You can't do anything for her right now. You have to help me!"

"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice…" Lorenzo said and grabbed Timmy about the middle. He had to give it to him. This was the first time he'd considered kneeing him in the groin. Clearly his thought processes were improving.

Timmy snarled, kicking and punching at him. Lorenzo backhanded him, which stunned him enough to stop fighting, and then he flung him to the bed. Timmy bounced, jumped off, and ran right back into Lorenzo's arms. He could do this for a while. The more Timmy struggled and fought against him, the harder he got.

He wondered how Azalea was faring with Chloe. She'd probably disabled her, which took half the fun out of it. Using his wand, he placed Timmy in an optimal position and Timmy flipped around. Okay, this was getting old. He'd never been known for his patience.

He rendered him immobile and growled, asserting his dominance. Then he prepared himself (magic helped a great deal) and Timmy. Timmy growled back, appealing to his godfather.

"Cosmo! Do something!" he cried. "Don't just sit there!"

Cosmo straightened. "I can't get out of here!"

"Wanda dislocated her arm," Timmy pointed out. "Maybe you could do that."

"You assume he's smart enough to consider it," Lorenzo sneered. "He couldn't think his way out of a paper bag."

Cosmo reached through the bars, but Lorenzo had electrified them. He yelped, stopped, and then pushed through. Showing an amazing tenacity for a coward, he broke the door off. It continued to electrocute him and Lorenzo rolled his eyes, restoring the door and shackling Cosmo to the cage.

"Hmm, I'm wrong," he said. "Cosmo does care about you."

Realizing he was out of luck, Timmy resigned himself to glaring at Lorenzo over his shoulder. Lorenzo smirked back. Unlike Azalea, he preferred to be very much in the moment as he took his victims. He luxuriated in the terror coming off them, the powerlessness, and rage. As always, Timmy vocalized his anger at him, and, as always, Lorenzo ignored him. His cries only spurred him on, to be honest. As long as Timmy didn't flee, which was impossible now anyway, everything he did was more and more arousing.

He slammed into him and realized Timmy was watching Cosmo. Cosmo banged against the door; only the bars were electrified. Hmm, this was almost entertaining. Was Cosmo really going to push through? He hadn't thought him capable of it. The last time, he'd stood by and let Lorenzo have his way with Timmy.

" _Cosmo_!" Timmy cried and Lorenzo backhanded him as he thrust in and out.

"He's not going to help you," he scoffed.

"Cosmo!" Timmy's desperation ramped up and, in response, Cosmo knocked the cage over, so that the door was facing the floor and he was trapped within. Lorenzo burst out laughing.

"And that's what happens when you pin your hopes on Cosmo."

Timmy muttered a few choice curse words and Lorenzo snickered, enjoying the moment. He paused when he thought he heard, just barely within the threshold of his mental hearing, Chloe scream Timmy's name. That was peculiar. He hadn't thought telepathy existed in this universe. Or, if it did, that Timmy and Chloe would share it. Was it because they shared godparents?

Timmy heard it too, because he stiffened. Eh, whatever. Chloe couldn't do anything from here and the only chance they had was facedown on the floor. Lorenzo snickered again. There was nothing to stop him from enjoying this moment.

He heard a low telepathic buzz and cut off the connection between the children. Even if they had the barest connection, it wasn't worth it to encourage it. Chloe was smarter than Timmy. She might be able to devise a way out of this if she had help.

Perhaps later, when the need wasn't so urgent, he could take his time and watch Timmy's face. As it was, he knew Timmy was yelling at him mentally, but nothing penetrated. And Cosmo's cage rattled as the fairy attempted to right himself. There was a resounding crash and a thud; presumably Cosmo had flipped the cage over again, but hit his head in the process.

Lorenzo rolled his eyes and continued. Timmy was crying for help, but no one besides him, Cosmo, and possibly the girls next door could hear him. He held a hand over Timmy's mouth and while Timmy's screams were muffled, Lorenzo moaned as loudly as possible. He was building a decent rhythm.

What he hadn't realized was that by permitting Timmy to talk, he'd given him the ability to move at least one part of his body. Timmy bit him with that stupid bucktooth of his and Lorenzo hissed. For a few seconds, he stopped. Then rage took the place of leisurely pleasure and he made sure to hurt Timmy as much as possible. He was no longer remotely gentle in his ministrations and Timmy's yelps were music to his ears. Things were getting a little bloody, too, which Lorenzo would clean up later.

When he finished, he slammed Timmy to the bed and listened to him whimper, occasionally sobbing. He cleaned himself up, removed the blood, and let Timmy lie there. He had business to take care of.

Striding out of the room after he'd dressed, he met Azalea in the hall. She was smirking too.

"I showed Chloe your exploits," Azalea informed him and Lorenzo grinned.

"How did she like it?"

"She's both furious and anxious over Timmy's fate," she informed him. "I know all she wants to do is comfort him and plot her escape. We can't allow them to meet."

She hissed and the crystal about her neck threw off sparks. "I don't think this crystal was meant to contain more than one soul. It's rebelling."

"We won't need to worry about it once we knock the other Wandas out of commission," he reassured her. Offering her his arm, they strolled down toward the computer room. She leaned against him affectionately and he grinned back. They were really were two of a kind.

They settled into chairs and Azalea keyed up the experiment. Most of it went over his head, but he understood the basics. Azalea was attempting to erase Wanda's existence or render it inert throughout the multiverse. Wanda would be without her powers and thus, defenseless. She wouldn't be able to plague them again and without her, Cosmo would be inept and useless, more so than usual.

It occurred to him he'd left Timmy with Cosmo. He shrugged. Cosmo wouldn't be able to help. If Timmy wished to escape, he'd probably be turned into a landscape or something equally trite. He wasn't concerned. Perhaps it was arrogance born from spending too much time around Azalea, but he didn't think so.

"Damn necklace," Azalea swore as the sparks hit her skin. Wherever the pink sparks went, welts arose. Lorenzo unclasped it from around her neck and placed it on a nearby table. After it was off, Azalea breathed easier.

Faint pink gas emanated from the crystal.

"Uh...Aze, is that normal?" he asked, pointing to it.

"Shit!" she cried. She conjured up a glass jar around it. It filled with smoke.

"Calm down," she instructed him, even though she was the one panicking. "It'll be all right. Once we finish this next equation, she'll cease to be a concern. Just need a few more minutes."

The glass was cracking. The two shared an uneasy look.

"Let me out of here!" Wanda howled and the glass shook. An iron box fell over the glass jar and Azalea placed padlocks on it. Their hearts racing, Azalea bent back to her work. Lorenzo only hoped she'd complete it before Wanda broke free, like the genie from a lamp.

* * *

Timmy landed on his stomach again and the breath was knocked out of him. Man, he had to learn how to stick his landings. Doombringer landed on top of him and cackled, racing off. It took him a few minutes to take in his surroundings; first he had to recover. He rolled over onto his back and then jumped to his feet. They were in the Crocker Cave. Nothing good ever came from being here.

Doombringer also had most of Wanda's soul. He set off after her, but the Crocker Cave was much larger than it had first appeared. Suddenly there were hallways splintering off and her footsteps faded. Timmy wielded the scepter to try and locate someone helpful and heard himself screaming, hoarse, somewhere nearby. He followed the sound of his own voice (man, that would never stop being weird) and encountered a barrier.

"Uh, what's going on?" he called. The barrier shimmered and he saw a dog cage upended, heard an electric zap, and saw himself on the bed and bleeding from a place that wasn't natural. He shuddered.

"Help!" he said. "Wait...how am I here and there?"

"Because it's another version of you, duh," he called back. He poked at the barrier with the scepter and it sizzled. Yeah, that wasn't going to work. He peered through to see if there was any chance someone else had a wand. Where had his Cosmo and Poof gone?

"Cosmo? Poof?" he called. They appeared and Timmy breathed easier.

"I wish the barrier was gone and, uh, that my counterpart was okay," he said. Cosmo and Poof held up their respective magical instruments and the barrier faded. He dashed into the room to discover Cosmo in the dog carrier and his counterpart huddled there.

"I wished you were okay. Why aren't you moving?"

"Lorenzo locked me into place," he huffed. "You have to wish I can move."

"Okay…" he said. "I wish you could move too."

His counterpart sighed, grabbing his clothes and throwing them on. He didn't make eye contact with anyone; his shame was palpable. As soon as he was able, he darted toward the dog carrier, seized a wand, and released Cosmo. Cosmo latched onto him and sobbed. What the hell had happened here? And who was Lorenzo?

"We have to save Wanda and Chloe," he said.

"And we have to stop Doombringer from doing whatever it was she wanted and taking all of my Wanda's soul," he said.

" _Your_ Wanda's in danger too?" he asked. Evidently, he hadn't noticed that she'd not materialized along with Cosmo and Poof.

"Uh, duh, that's why I'm here in the first place. Did you think I was sightseeing?" he asked, exasperated.

"Never mind that!" he huffed. He darted down the hall and his counterpart followed him. They encountered another barrier, which Timmy wished away, and, because it seemed to be de rigueur today, wished Chloe could move, speak, and be dressed again (all of this without looking her way). He nearly tripped over Wanda's insensate body on the floor.

"Jeez," he said. "This is ridiculous."

"You're telling me," the other Timmy grumbled back.

"I don't know what's going on or why there are two Timmys," Chloe said. "But Wanda needs our help!"

Now that she was decent, Timmy glanced over at her. She didn't look insane like the first Chloe he'd encountered; her hair was mussed from whatever had happened before, but it wasn't disheveled and matted. Her eyes were bright with determination and she rushed to prop Wanda up on the bed. Timmy got the feeling she'd be a bad enemy to make.

She did a doubletake. "And there are two Cosmos. Oh boy."

"What? What's wrong with there being two of me?" Cosmo asked and Timmy realized he didn't even know which one was which. They looked identical. He slapped a palm to his forehead.

"I'm doubly handsome!" the other Cosmo responded and they laughed. "Plus, Wanda can have double the pleasure!"

"Hey, that's my wife you're talking about!"

"That's my wife too!"

"And we're leaving," Timmy announced. He followed his counterpart's lead again and they came back to the hallway split. Great. His counterpart didn't know where to go either. He sniffed. Was that smoke he smelled?

The closer they got to the front of the Crocker Cave, the thicker the smoke grew. Timmy coughed, placing his sleeve over his mouth.

"I wish the smoke was gone!" he called. Nothing happened. Perturbed, he looked at his godfather. Oh, right, his was the one with the wand. He probably should have figured that out earlier.

They waded their way through the smoke and toward the central control area. It was hard to tell exactly where it was, since they couldn't see much of anything. He was aware of the other Timmy and Chloe holding hands and forming a chain with their Cosmo. Damn, he wished he'd thought of that. He also wished he had someone smarter with godparents to tell him what to do at times. Just...don't tell anyone he said that.

"Why is there an iron box over the last crystal shard?" Doombringer asked. A being of pure pink smoke formed and had Wanda's eyes, which glared balefully out at everyone. Timmy was willing to bet that wasn't supposed to happen either. His mouth dried out and he was the tiniest bit afraid of his godmother.

"Timmy!" Wanda cried. "Chloe! Wait...two Timmys? And two Cosmos? Oh, this can't be good."

"That's what I said!" Chloe replied.

Wanda facepalmed. A human sized fairy was hurriedly typing something in and Wanda swept her gas form across the keyboard until, crackling, the computer stopped working. Nonetheless, the machine glowed, its monitor lit up, and the human sized fairy cackled.

"Finally! It's working!"

The gas Wanda grabbed the crystal from about Doombringer's neck and another gas version of her appeared briefly before disappearing.

"Wait! Come back!" Timmy cried, dismayed. Had they gone through all that only to lose her again?

"She's going back to her body, wherever it is in the multiverse," Wanda informed him. "Don't worry, sport."

"And you're going straight to hell," the human sized fairy sneered. "Wherever that is in the multiverse."

She hit a button. Nothing happened. Doombringer snarled, having been deprived of her crystal by another version of Wanda. She shoved aside the iron box and broke the glass beneath. Squeezing the crystal in her hand, despite the sparking, she forced Wanda back inside. Timmy's heart stopped for a second as Wanda screamed, flailing and trying to resist to no avail. Chloe screamed too, rushing toward Doombringer only for the woman to backhand her and cut into her cheek with that net she still wore. Undeterred, Chloe sprang back to her feet and tackled Doombringer.

"Give me back my fairy godmother!" Chloe howled.

"What she said!" the Timmys cried.

Doombringer smiled. "Over my dead body."

She turned toward the anti-fairy and the human sized fairy standing nearby. "I'll cut you a deal. You let me keep the crystal and Wanda's soul-and I let you keep the children. How does that sound to you?"

The female fairy stepped forward too and smiled back. "I think we can work around that arrangement. But, unfortunately, I just disabled Wanda's powers. So if you want magic, you'll have to go through me."

"And me," the human sized anti-fairy said. He pointed his wand at Doombringer's chest. "We don't have a problem with keeping the children, of course. But I'm afraid there can be no mutually beneficial partnership between us."

"I wish that woman didn't have the crystal!" Timmy cried and it sailed through the air to land in Chloe's hand. Chloe looked balefully at their opposition. She was bleeding from her cheek and neck.

"And I wish that terrible woman and her equally horrible male partner were gone!" Chloe snarled. She squeezed the crystal as she said it and, before Wanda had a chance to grant the wish, Doombringer's mace caught Chloe in the chest. It knocked her backward and, dismayed, the alternate Timmy and Cosmo dashed to her side. Chloe whimpered and her dress was soaked with blood.

"Much better," Doombringer said, retrieving the crystal. "Since you two have no intention of playing nice with me, then I won't play nice with you either."

She leered at the other adults and then clenched her fist. "And I wish that, together with the captive fairies, I was in Fairy World and I had all of its power at my disposal!"

She cackled and smoke enveloped them. When it cleared, Doombringer was gone, along with the necklace. Timmy's version of Cosmo had lost his wand, because the other Timmy had yanked it out of his hand.

"C'mon, you'll be okay…" the other Timmy breathed and he was precariously close to tears. Horrified, Timmy saw that Chloe's chest was partially caved in from the mace. The other Timmy was cradling her in his lap and tears slipped down his cheek.

"Don't worry," Cosmo said, subdued and held up his wand. Beeping emanated from it. "I'm running low on magic."

"Just heal her!" Timmy snarled.

Chloe reached out for Timmy's hand and squeezed. Her eyes were glossed over in pain and her breathing hitched. It sounded like there was blood in her lungs.

Cosmo wrung the wand, trying to drain every last ounce of magic from it, and Chloe's chest went from concave to convex. Her breathing eased, but she didn't look entirely healed. Timmy growled at Cosmo.

"What gives?" he demanded.

"I don't have enough power to completely heal her," he professed. "I need Wanda. The best I can do is keep her from dying."

"You're useless!" Timmy snapped. He glanced down at her and his lower lip quivered. "You'll be okay. I promise, you'll be okay."

He glowered at his counterpart, the one who had traveled all this way just to rescue his godmother and hopefully had already done so. He could have easily stepped aside and left this Timmy to his misery. But they wouldn't have enough juice to get to Fairy World, never mind confront Doombringer.

"I believe you're forgetting something," Lorenzo snarled.

"Oh, yeah," Timmy mused and plucked the wands from his fingers as well as his partner's. "I wish we were in Fairy World!"

He couldn't really leave himself hanging, could he? Plus, he'd seen the desperate look on his counterpart's face. He was freaking out over Chloe's situation. It'd be beyond cruel to leave him like that.

They arrived there with Doombringer racing off, wending her way through the streets. Timmy gave chase and then remembered he had a fairy godfather.

"I wish Doombringer couldn't move!"

Unfortunately, that wish only lasted as long as it took for Doombringer to undo it. Damn it. She was at least equal if not stronger than him, as he wasn't sure how much power the other two had packed in their wands before he'd pilfered them. He might be in serious trouble here. But wait...this was Fairy World. Jorgen had to be around here somewhere. He just had to find him.


End file.
